


Back to the Beginning

by RedProtons



Series: Deal Of The Moment [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Doctor/Rose just starting out, Episode: s01e13 End of Days, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Jack being Jack, Mystery Character(s), Nightmares, Sharing a Bed, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler Fluff, Time Travel, Torchwood Novel: The Twilight Streets, but two thirds of the story is, the doctor doing domestics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 55,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27673009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedProtons/pseuds/RedProtons
Summary: Something is changing fixed events, something powerful, a nudge here, another there. Whatever it is, it's made it so the Doctor, Rose and Jack are travelling together again. But life in the Tardis is never smooth sailing. Now the Doctor is stranded in Cardiff with Rose and Jack, and nowhere to go. Rose's family live close by, and it's only for four days, the Doctor can handle that... right?[Part of a series but can be read alone]
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor & Jack Harkness & Rose Tyler
Series: Deal Of The Moment [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023540
Comments: 28
Kudos: 45





	1. Emergency Power Alpha

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :) 
> 
> If you're new then all you need to know is that Rose and family are transported back to the prime universe but no one knows why, she finds Jack, her and Mickey work for Torchwood, the 456 come to Earth a few years earlier; while Torchwood still have a full team and the Doctor and Martha happen to be on planet at the same time. They all team up, save the day. The Doctor confesses his love for Rose Tyler, apologises to Jack, and they decide to travel again.
> 
> This was meant to be just a bit of cute angst/fluff but it turned into a full story. There's lots of cute domestic stuff but it's also a End of Day's (sort of) rewrite, with elements from the 'Twilight Streets' book. Which you don't need to have read or anything, but if you have you might recognise some nods to the book. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoy. :)

The Tardis violently jerked from side to side, thick black smoke bellowing out of the console and clouding the dome roof above. The rotor's movements jerky and dotty, stopping and starting at intervals, causing the Tardis to suddenly plunge; turning off the gravity, before forcibly starting again, sending everyone plummeting back to the floor as they stopped floating.

"Jack! Fire extinguisher!" the Doctor yelled, dancing around the console more frantic than either Jack or Rose had ever seen him.

"What'd ya think I'm doing!" Jack shouted over the sharp, grating, noise of the Tardis backfiring as he wildly waved the, far, _far_ , too small, fire extinguisher around the base of the flames.

"Rose, the lever!" the Doctor ordered.

"Right!" she called, slamming down something on the console before hastily grabbing on to the railings as the rotor stopped again, causing them all to float. A second later her weight returned, slamming her and the others to the ground. Her stomach churned as she stumbled to her feet and fought down the urge to throw up.

The Doctor viciously hit the console with the mallet. "Almost there!"

The Tardis jolted sharply to one side, flinging Rose and Jack across the room, the light on the rotor turning from green to red.

"ROSE!" the Doctor yelled. "Are you all right? ROSE! JACK?"

With no one to calm them the flames grew wilder and more out of control, the smoke getting thicker.

Rose choked on the thick smoke, the fall sucking all of the air out of her. Jack pulled her to her feet. "I'm alright." she coughed, her voice strained.

"Jack?" the Doctor cried.

"Cutting it kind of close, Doctor!" he called, wobblily helping Rose over to the closest metal railing, spluttering on the smoke as he did.

"Hold on we're gonna –"

There was a final abrupt drop that sent everyone four feet higher in the air in a sweeping motion, none of them having any chance of landing safely, limbs in every which direction. In reality they were only airborne for a few seconds but at that moment time seemed to slow; the flicker of the flames became more passive, the rotor's movement more gradual and the smoke twisted around the ceiling at a more leisurely pace, before all three of them came crashing down, gravity taking hold once again.

Rose braced herself for the pain of falling ungracefully on the jagged metal grating, closing her eyes before she hit the ground.

Hmm strange, the landing had seemed softer than she'd anticipated; plumper… parts of it anyway. She was pretty sure one of her arms had got caught on the railing on the way down, given how much it was throbbing, but the rest of her body seemed cushioned, and surprisingly warm. She opened her eyes to investigate further but saw nothing but pitch black darkness; the fire around the console having died out along with the console lights.

"Doctor?" she called out, sitting up and turning to shake whoever the poor sod was that she'd, unfortunately, landed on. "Jack?"

Her cushion made a grunting sound. "Uhh." it sounded American, it was Jack.

"Jack are you okay?"

"Never better." but it sounded like he was saying it through gritted teeth. Rose heard him shift next to her and she helped him up.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Jack asked fearfully. "Doctor?" he called into the nothingness.

Jack and Rose were both silent as they listened for the tiniest bit of noise, but several seconds passed with nothing to show for it, making both of them more and more worried.

"DOCTOR!" Rose cried.

There was a grunt in the distance and the lights of the console room dimly flickered on, still red from the earlier alarm; bathing everything in an ominous glow.

Blinking their eyes at the sudden flood of light into their pupils, Jack and Rose searched the room. The Doctor was lying on his belly between the captain's chair and the console, heaving himself up with his elbows and shaking his head in an attempt to focus himself. He was covered in soot from the smoke. Rose and Jack glanced at one another, sharing their relief only to quickly realise that they were just as filthy as the Doctor, their faces and clothes stained black with soot.

"Doctor?" Rose called. "You alright?"

It appeared to take him a while to register what happened as he suddenly snapped into a wild panic, his eyes scanning the console room. "Rose!" he cried, "Jack?" his body slumping once he caught sight of them, realising they were unharmed enough to be looking back at him, both sitting next to each other on the grating. "Are you both alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." they replied at the same time, the Doctor scrambling to his feet and rushing over to them. "Sure?" he asked fearfully, his attention directed at Rose as he offered her a hand up.

"Yeah, think so… You?" she asked, looking for any sign of injury.

"No broken bones." the Doctor replied as he and Rose shifted their attention to Jack and heaved him up by grabbing him under his arms. "Jack, what about you?"

"Nothing that won't heal in a few seconds." he replied, grunting as he was pulled to his feet.

Rose scanned Jack and saw that he'd sliced his ear, his blood coloured black by the red lighting. "You're bleeding." she said sadly.

Jack swiftly put his hand to his ear and inspected the blood on his fingers. "Must've cut it on the way down; it'll heal." he reassured Rose before looking around the console room. The fires might've stopped but the air was still thick with smoke, the rotor still, and the whole room a mess; panels of the grating jerked out of place and the headsets Rose had seen when they landed on the parallel world gently swinging on wires close to the rotor. "What the hell just happened?" he asked.

The Doctor joined Jack in studying the Tardis as he walked towards the console. "We've almost run out of fuel." the Doctor said in a low tone. "I wasn't joking when I said she needed a pit stop. She's running on emergency power, proper emergency power; emergency power delta, and oph." he puffed air out his cheeks as he haphazardly flicked some switches on the console. "She's _not_ happy about it."

"But did we make it?" Rose asked apprehensively. "Are we back in Cardiff?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out now." The Doctor looked towards the doors.

Rose and Jack followed his line of sight, looking apprehensively at the entrance.

"And what about the Tardis? Will she be okay?"

"Should be." said the Doctor, tinkering with the console, although nothing seemed to be happening. "I'll just make sure she's entered the recharging cycle and we should be goo-"

There was a loud crack that echoed through the room, originating from the corridor. It sounded like metal creaking, giving way, like in the bowels of a sinking ship.

Everyone snapped their attention towards the corridor.

There was an immense, sharp splintering sound, like the world's thickest tree was getting bent in two, mixed with what sounded like fierce waves crashing on a stony beach. The three watched in horror as the walls of the corridor collapsed in on itself, like a metal can was being crushed from the outside.

"OUT, OUT, _OUT_!" the Doctor screamed, pushing them both towards the doors. Around them the console room started to shrink and contort, the wooden doors splintering, as if a huge unimaginable weight had been placed on top of the frame.

Rose and Jack didn't need to be told twice as they surged towards the doors, the Doctor opened them and pushed them through.

Rose and Jack stumbled out, taking a brief second to assess their surroundings. They had made it to Cardiff, thank God, somewhere near the waterfront, around the nature reserve. It was late at night but they both recognised the modern flats that looked out into the bay. They didn't waste time lingering to work out the exact location as their attention swiftly returned to the Tardis.

From the outside they could see the console room shrinking, the Doctor having returned to the rotor, trying to do… something.

"Doctor!" Rose called in a panic, as the console room seemed to get further and further away, she bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to decide if she should go back in or not.

But there was no need.

It was unclear whether Doctor gave up on his endeavour or succeeded, but he left as soon as Rose called him. He leapt out at the last moment, grabbing his coat off the coral just in time.

Although, as soon as he was out he swivelled on his heels and tried to re-enter. There was an angry cloud of soot that shot out the Tardis, coating the Doctor just as he reached the doors. The doors then slamming abruptly in his face.

The Doctor's shoulder's slumped in defeat, the whole front part of him covered head to toe in thick black soot. "Ah. Emergency power alpha." He shrugged. "My bad."

"Wot does emergency power; alpha mean?" Rose asked nervously.

The Doctor sighed and turned to face them, looking like he'd just spent a day in the coal mines.

Suddenly the situation didn't seem as serious as it was a few seconds ago. Honestly, how could Rose and Jack not laugh in his face with him looking like that?

"Yes, yes, alright." the Doctor complained impatiently.

"She must be really mad at you." Rose teased through her laughter.

The Doctor let out another, more frustrated sigh, and took a hanky from his jacket pocket and started wiping his face. "Anyway, it means all functions not essential for recharging are disabled, which basically means no Tardis until refuelling is complete." the Doctor looked to Rose for clarification. "Better?"

Rose seemed deep in thought, before shaking her head. "Nah." He'd basically just moved the dirt around a bit.

The Doctor sighed, put the hanky away and started rummaging around in his coat pockets.

"And how long will that be?" Jack asked.

The Doctor fished out a packet of wet wipes and started using those to wipe his face instead.

"Three days?" the Doctor thought while still wiping his face with multiple wipes, keeping the used ones in his hand. "Three nights? No more than four nights." he looked to Rose again. "Now?"

Rose nodded and Doctor stopped wiping his face and handed the dirty wipes to her.

Rose looked at him in disgust, shaking her head.

He stared at her before realising that wasn't the right thing to do and put them in his coat pocket instead and started patting down his suit with his hands.

"That's all?" Jack asked.

Rose took pity on him and started helping. "God, the Tardis must really, really, be mad at you." she muttered, grimacing as she briefly inspected her soot covered hands.

"That's all! Four nights, four nights in Cardiff, with nothing to do, and no Tardis to tinker with, I'll go mad with boredom" the Doctor complained.

Rose stopped. She loved him but sometimes the Doctor was a complete idiot. She looked nervously between him and Jack, worried what Jack might say. She'd been here for six months and that was no walk in the park, but Jack, Jack had been stuck in Cardiff for a century, she couldn't even imagine what that must've been like.

"Uh – huh, real shame." Jack replied flatly. "Try being stuck here for more than a hundred years, then it really starts to grate on you."

The Doctor's face instantly fell, realising his mistake. "Sorry." he said awkwardly. "Maybe four nights won't be so bad."

"Right." said Jack disbelievingly, a hint of animosity still in his voice. He let out a sigh, moving on from the subject. "So, where to now?" He turned to face Rose. "Do you think Jackie'll put us up?"

The Doctor blanched. "Jackie? No, absolutely not. Don't you have somewhere we could stay?"

Jack smiled. "You know I've fantasized about you asking me that, Doctor."

Rose smirked, patting the last bits of soot from the Doctor's suit. He still looked a state – they all did – but at least he didn't look like a chimney sweep anymore.

"I didn't mean it like that! We can't just stay on the street for fou- three nights, and you and Rose need somewhere to rest."

"Well as much as I'd love you staying at my place, it's sorta a crater in the middle of Cardiff right now, so I vote Jackie's."

"Me too." said Rose tiredly. "I want my own bed."

The Doctor looked between the pair in bewilderment. "Ok fine." he conceded. "Jackie's it is."


	2. The First Night

Half an hour later and Rose was about ready to collapse. She hadn’t stopped for two days - bar a few naps – and now she really was at her limit. Jack led the way while the Doctor rambled on during the walk to her mum’s, holding her hand as he pulled her forwards. She didn’t have the energy to converse and just sort of grunted in agreement every now and then.

She wished one of them had had money, then they could’ve gotten a taxi.

Her paced quicken once she started to recognise the familiar streets lined with old, redbrick, Victorian, terrace houses. As soon as she reached her mum’s she powered up to the front door and gave it a good thump. “Mum, it’s us.” she called.

Mickey answered the door, from his face it was easy to tell they were the last thing he was expecting to see. “Rose?” he asked.

It was a feeling that the Doctor apparently shared. “Mickey?” he said, bewildered. “What’re you doing here?”

Mickey angrily scoffed. “What I’m I doi- I live here.” He waved a hand at the Doctor. “What’re you doing ‘ere? I thought you three were staying in the Tardis.” He scanned the three’s soot covered clothes. “And why you all look like that?”

“Bed.” was all Rose could say, one hundred percent done with their bickering as she pushed past Mickey and started to climb the stairs.

“Rose?” the Doctor called up to her.

But Rose had one thing on her mind right now and that was sleep. She grunted at him as she continued to walk up the stairs without sparing him a glance; her bed calling to her aching legs.

She met her mum at the top of the stairs, dressed in her pink fluffy dressing gown. “I’m staying ‘ere tonight.” she told her, not stopping as she opened the door to her bedroom, slammed it shut, and belly flopped straight onto the bed.

She was asleep before she hit the mattress.

Knowing that she’d get no answers from Rose, Jackie marched down the stairs to the front door. “What are you lot doin’ ‘ere? Rose looks like she’s bin sent down the mines.” She glared at the Doctor, noticing that he was also mucky. “And she’s right conked out, she told you she was tired, ‘aven’t you let ‘er sleep yet!”

The Doctor didn’t know where to even begin replying to that, opening and closing his mouth a few times.

Jack stepped in. “Pardon the intrusion, Jackie.” he said charmingly, taking Jackie’s hand and kissing it like she was some posh aristocrat.

Jackie’s fury was instantly quelled. “Oh stop you, wot are you like?” she giggled, going week at the knees.

The Doctor’s jaw hit the floor. Jack really did have no shame whatsoever! He shot a pleading glance to Mickey, hoping he would interfere in some way before things got too out of hand. But Mickey waved a hand and headed into the kitchen, leaving the Doctor trapped between the two of them, forced to witness the unfolding atrocity on his own.

“You see, we were all set to turn in for the night, but we hit a little snag.” Jack took a step closer. “And, well.” He smiled charmingly. “Heh, well, you know how these things are.” He looked deep into her eyes, Jackie's own glistening. “And since you’re just a beacon of hospitality we were hoping you could take us in for a few nights.”

Jackie batted her eyelashes and took another step closer to him, their bodies’ centimetres apart.

The Doctor supressed a gag as soul destroying mental images entered his brain, images he’d be sure to permanently delete once he’d escaped this horrific nightmare unfolding before him. He tried to protest but any voice seemed to die before it reached his throat.

“You? Under my roof for a few nights, anything could happen.” she replied lustfully, their faces far too close.

“I’m counting on it.” Jack said, slowly, softly, bringing her hand up to his face and giving it an extra-long kiss.

The Doctor was starting to question whether or not there was actually a hell, and whether he’d somehow been sent there in the last thirty seconds.

Jackie gave a splitting grin. “Well you should come in then.” she breathed, twilling a strand of her hair in her fingers. “I’ve got some of those biscuits you like.”

Jack smiled. “Lead the way.” he said softly.

Was Rose actually furious with him? Did she leave him here on his own on purpose as punishment, forced to witness this putrid display, taking from him any desire he had to ever eat again?

Jackie slowly stepped away from Jack and swung her hips as she moved towards the kitchen. She looked back at Jack, beckoning him in with her finger.

No wonder so many humans believed in damnation, they’d have to be after being exposed to something as soul destroying as this.

Jack grinned and followed her into the kitchen, not before winking at the Doctor as he passed him, who still hadn’t himself blinked since the whole encounter had begun.

After few more seconds of the Doctor nauseously standing there, having absolutely the foggiest idea what to do with himself, Jackie poked her head around the entrance to the kitchen. “Well wot you doin’ standing there?” she asked the Doctor in her usual voice. “You want somewhere to sleep or not? And shut the door behind you, bloody freezing and you’re letting all the heat out.”

Recovering from his trauma just enough to will his muscles to move, the Doctor closed the door and shyly headed into the kitchen, scared to touch anything without at least three layers of rubber gloves and a litre of hand sanitizer at his disposal. He was pretty sure Mickey went in the kitchen earlier, so he wouldn’t be going into battle alone… would he? And what about Pete, surely he’d be against all of this, just where was he?

Luckily, nothing monstrous was happening. Jackie was searching the cupboards for something and Jack and Mickey were sitting at a small table to the side of the room, Mickey munching on a sandwich, seemingly numb to the whole thing, and somehow able to keep down his food.

The Doctor slowly sat down at the table, staring unblinkingly at Jack. How could he stoop so, _so_ , low? Is this what Rose had had to endure in his absence? How could she still smile after seeing something like that?

“What?” Jack shrugged. “Free country, aint it?”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Funny, Rose told me the same thing.” Jack teased, casually leaning back in his chair.

“But, Jackie, seriously?” the Doctor hissed. “There really is nothing in the universe you wouldn’t say no to.” the Doctor continued, complaining loudly.

Jack smiled smugly back. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

“And here I thought those snake twins from Lepicorn were pushing it.”

“Oi!” Jackie snapped. “Watch your mouth, bloody cheek.”

“Me! I’m hardly at fault here. You’re a married woman, last I heard anyway. What about Pete? What does he have to say about all this?”

Jackie was primed to snap back but then a thought seemed to hit her and she fell silent, her readied retort dying in her throat. She turned back to where the cupboards were and started getting something out the fridge, seeming a little bit flustered.

The Doctor grinned in victory, but it was short lived when Mickey leaned over to him and whispered quietly. “Trust me Boss, he doesn’t mind.”

The Doctor looked confused. Why wouldn’t Pete mi…

_Oh._

No, surely not.

The Doctor gaped between Jackie and Jack, who was wiggling his eyebrows knowingly in the Doctor’s direction.

The Doctor looked to Mickey for verification. He nodded sadly.

OH!

DISGUSTING!

Did Jack have absolutely no line whatsoever!

“Anyway enough of that then.” Jackie said, moving on from the topic as she placed a plate of biscuits down on the table, causing the Doctor to gape at her instead.

Jackie looked him up and down. “Wot you looking at?”

“Nothing.” the Doctor squeaked, snapping out of his trance and focusing on the biscuits instead.

“Right, then.” Jackie began, taking a biscuit off the plate and sitting down at the table. “’Oo’s sleeping where?”

“I’ll take the sofa.” Jack announced cheekily.

Jackie nodded before turning to the Doctor. “Alright, wot about you?”

The Doctor sighed. “I’ll just wait in the kitchen. I don’t need to sleep.”

“What do you mean you don’t need to sleep? You slept last time.” she argued.

“Yes, but I was _regenerating_ last time.”

“Oh, that doesn’t mean anything!” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “And you can’t wait in the kitchen all night, you’d ‘ve burnt the ‘ouse down, tryin’ to keep yourself busy.”

“’E can wait in the shed.” Mickey suggested, his voice muffled by a mouth full of food.

“E’s not sleeping in there, there’s all sorts of creepy crawlies in there.” Jackie looked at the Doctor, thinking something over, and sighed. “You might as well share with Rose then.”

The Doctor suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights. He stared at Jackie, swallowing hard, feeling Jack and Mickey’s eyes boring into him.

“…Sorry?” the Doctor squeaked.

“Oh ‘oo do you think I am, the pope’s mother? I wasn’t born yesterday, you two are so obvious even a blind man could see it.”

Jack and Mickey sniggered before bursting out into a fit of laughter at the Doctor’s gaping expression, who was still staring unblinkingly at Jackie.

All this time he’d thought he’d kept his feelings for Rose quite hidden, so hidden in fact that he’d even hidden them from himself. And it wasn’t until after he’d los… until after they’d _temporarily_ parted ways that he’d realised he’d grown quite fond of her, so fond of her in fact that he was pretty sure that he was in love with her.

Sure, Mickey made little comments now and again but he put that down to him being Rose’s – technically – boyfriend at the time. But now it was becoming apparent that it’d only been himself who’d been fooled by his own performance.

Oh, he wanted to go back to the Tardis, to run away, to hide in the depths of his ship. He’d only been here for a couple of minutes and already he was finding it far too domestic. But he had nowhere to go, and Rose was here so he had to stay.

“Well, well, well, I didn’t know Time Lords could blush.” Jack teased, before breaking out into, yet another, fit of laughter.

Damn, now his own body was betraying him.

“Hey look even his ears are going red!” Mickey pointed out gleefully, as he intently studied the Doctor’s ears, the Doctor swatting him off, clearly very uncomfortable with the situation.

“Alright, you two pack it in.” Jackie warned. “No need to pick on him.”

Jack and Mickey stopped, having the decency to look a little guilty.

“Here, now, yes, – and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but - thank you Jackie.” the Doctor agreed. 

“Right so it’s sorted then.” said Jackie, the Doctor opened his mouth to protest but Jackie beat him to it. “Rose won’t mind.” she argued. “And if she does she’ll let you know.” she turned to Mickey. “Now Mickey, let them borrow some of your pyjamas and we can get you both some new stuff down the market tomorrow.” She turned back to the Doctor, looking him up and down with a sour expression on her face. “And make sure you go in for a shower before you go to sleep.” Jackie looked between Jack and the Doctor, their clothes still soot ridden from the Tardis earlier. “You two are filthy.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Jack saluted, causing a little smile to spread across Jackie's face.

At the same time, Mickey’s face fell. “But why me? Why not Pete?” he protested.

“Cos he’s already gone to bed.” Jackie yelled back, instantly silencing any further protest from Mickey. “Now come on shift.” she commanded, jerking her head towards the stairs. “It’s already late.”

The three men looked amongst one another before wordlessly heading up the stairs to Mickey’s room.

You didn’t argue with Jackie Tyler.

* * *

After a quick shower, the Doctor changed into the pyjamas he’d been given and quietly knocked on Rose’s bedroom door, his suit folded over one of his arms. Mickey had taken advantage of the opportunity he was given and loaned the Doctor a baggy white t-shirt with the text ‘trouble magnet’ scrawled across it, and a pair of plain blue bottoms. Well it was either that or the t-shirt with the word 'Oppai' written across it, complete with a cartoon diagram.

He could hear the sound of Rose’s light snoring, making it clear he wasn’t going to get a reply anytime soon, so, he twisted the door handle and went to push the door open.

He stopped and audibly sighed.

Honestly, he was scared.

It was only for four days but unlike Christmas he really did have nothing, not even a set of clean clothes. Even when he was kicked out for interfering he still had the Tardis to titter about in. He felt lost, out of place … vulnerable, even.

He went in.

He looked around the room. Rose was splayed starfish style on the double bed, taking up most of the space. She was still dressed in the tracksuit she’d changed into on the Tardis, which was still caked in soot. She’d been too tired to get under the covers and had just plonked right on top of them.

The Doctor momentarily thought it might be best if he just sat on the floor and waited for her, but that was quickly thrown out as an idea once he actually inspected it; covered in clothes, shoes and other bits, a total mess, just like her room on the Tardis. And this wasn’t the largest room he'd ever seen either.

He scanned the bed looking for the best edge to balance on, since that was all he’d be able to do with the space Rose had left him to work with. The edge closest to the door seemed his best bet. He tried his best not to disturb Rose as he gingerly lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He wasn’t going to sleep, just wait.

He hated waiting; it allowed his thoughts to become louder, to catch up with him after running so far away from them.

And there were so many thoughts dancing around his head. He was worried about the future, he was worried about losing Rose - every second he seemed to be worried about that. He was worried about how she was feeling, he was worried about the Tardis, he was worried about what brought the Tyler family back to their home universe. He was feeling guilty about Jack, and Martha, and how he’d left things with the both of them.

And on top of all that, now he had to live a full blown domestic life.

What if Rose decided she wanted to stay at home? He’d meant it when he said he’d do that for her, and he would, absolutely. But it was such a big adjustment for him to make. What if he hated every second of it? What if it was too much and he ran? He’d let Rose down, he’d brake yet another promise.

But there was something more, another nagging fear whispering in the dark corners of his mind. 

What if he liked it?

What if he enjoyed domestic life with the Tylers?

And what if everyone got tired of him and sent him away? Like everyone he travelled with seemed to do in the end.

After all, travelling with him was different from actually having to live with him day after day, and in such a confined space too. There was no distraction, no danger to use as an excuse. What if he got angry of being caged and messed it up? He didn’t want that, he liked the Tylers, _loved_ Rose, he didn’t want to lose them, any of them. They’d become a sort of family to him, even if only Rose might see him that way.

He pinched the bridge of his nose to try and swat away his thoughts, blinking hard for good measure. He could feel his eyes getting heavier, Rose’s repetitive light snores making him sleepy.

He wasn’t going to sleep though, just wait.

He hated sleeping, even more than waiting.

He needed to, was due a rest.

But he wasn’t going to sleep, just wait.

Yet, a few hours later, that’s exactly what the Doctor found himself doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Settling In
> 
> When: Well the whole thing is pretty much finished, bar some editing. Sooo tomorrow? the next day? 
> 
> Other notes: Poor Doctor is having a tough time with it already. I enjoyed writing this chapter. I always wondered what would happen if Jack and Jackie knew each other, so I guess this is my take on it. I mean they're both such flirts, it was bound to happen eventually, right?


	3. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets to see the Doctor asleep, aww. And the Doctor has to deal with Mickey and Jack's antics.

Rose was woken up by a ray of light heating her face, which was odd given the sun didn’t usually hit her bedroom window until the afternoon.  She groggily lifted her head up from the pillow, her eyes narrow and her hair a mess as she dragged the alarm clock closer towards her, all of her muscles crying out in protest.

Oh, it _was_ the afternoon; 2:16pm to be precise.

Well in her defence, she had had a rough couple of days lately.

She reluctantly heaved herself up, God her muscles ached so bad.  She felt like she was solid all the way through.  At least now she fully understood what the term 'as stiff as a board' meant.

What she needed now was a nice long soak with one of those fancy bathbombs Pete got her for her birthday, and one of those really strong painkillers that her mum had left over from that bout of tonsillitis.  She looked around the room, her room was a tip, she’d have to clean it a bit before she let the Doctor come in here.

The Doctor was lying on her bed.

Oh.

He was balancing on the absolute edge, lying on his back, legs crossed and arms folded, wearing a set of Mickey’s pyjamas, looking very uncomfortable.

Her heart fluttered, he looked so cute, adorable really, so unguarded.  She’d never had a chance to see what he looked like when he was actually asleep, and not close to death after, well, dying.  All the other times she had caught him napping on the captain’s chair or someplace similar, he’d instantly bolted up the second the grating rattled from her footsteps.  She’d not even seen him in pyjamas again after Christmas.

She smiled. It was obvious Mickey was the mastermind behind giving the Doctor a T –shirt with the words ‘trouble magnet’ on it.  He did have his moments of genius now and again.  It was difficult to believe that the Doctor would agree to that willingly.  How much did her mum have to nag him for him to change?  She dreaded to think.

Initially, Rose was going to let him sleep, and... maybe stare at him a bit more, okay a lot more. She was an admirer of fine art after all.  But as she went to swing her legs over the bed, he suddenly bolted upright.  Only, it wasn’t in his usual energetic manner that she’d seen before on the Tardis.  He looked distraught, scared even, like he’d forgotten where he was, his eyes darting around the room.

“Sorry.” he said quickly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed so that he was sitting on the edge, rubbing both his hands down his face, as though to get a hold of himself.

“Hey, wot’s wrong?” Rose asked in concern, slowly putting her hand on his shoulder from her position behind him. “Doctor?”

The Doctor quickly got up from the bed and turned to face her.  “It’s nothing.” he lied, putting on his usual ‘I’m always alright façade.’ “But, what about you? How're you feeling?”

Rose tried to hide how hurt she felt as she looked him up and down.  Just once she wished this version of himself opened up to her, not just off hand comments but really talked to her.  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She paused briefly, should she push?  Shouldn’t she? “What are you sorry for?”

The Doctor played dumb. “Hmm?” he asked in a high tone.

“Just now, you said sorry, sorry for what?”

“Oh, right, yes… well, I meant sorry for laying on your bed without asking, but I didn’t want to wake you, and your mother was very insistent.” he rambled on.

Rose raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk spreading across her face.  “Mum wanted you to share with me?” she asked.

The Doctor was stunned momentarily before his mouth started moving a mile a minute, rushing to explain.  “Well, not at first, no, initially I was going to stay in the kitchen and just wait for you all to wake up; since I don’t need as much sleep as you lot, but then your mother said, if I did that then she’d wake up to a destroyed kitchen, which is totally an unfair assessment by the way.  But anyway, then she suggested I stay with you. And at first I was just going to lay on the floor… but-”

The Doctor looked around the messy room, kicking some clothes to the side.  Rose became very aware of her cheeks reddening.

“It’s a bit… cluttered.” He admitted, before looking back up at her to continue his ramble.  “So, I thought best not, eh? Might as well just sit on the bed, Jackie said you wouldn’t mind, but I must’ve dozed off at some point.  Sorry about that.” He paused a little, trying to decipher Rose’s expression and becoming nervous. “…is that okay?”

Rose didn’t answer straight away, studying him.  While she believed that was the truth as to why he was on her bed - which she didn’t care about in the slightest - that wasn’t why he’d had a bit of an episode just now.  Still, she didn’t want to ruin what they were beginning to have by pushing him too far and too fast, that’d only make it worse.

“No, don’t worry about it.” she conceded, before breaking out in a smile. “You’re cute when you sleep.”

“Yes, well of course I am, I mean look at me, why wouldn’t I be?” he joked, his voice light, but she could sense the relief behind it.

Rose giggled before changing the subject, “ _A_ nyway… if you’re done dozing, I’m goin’ to go in for a bath.” She tried hard not to wince or grit her teeth as her muscles cried out at the minor of movements as she attempted to push herself off of the bed.

But her movements were jagged and stiff enough for the Doctor noticed something was amiss.  “Rose?” he said in concern, suddenly around her side of the bed and grabbing on to her arm.  “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Rose took his arm and used him for support as she pushed herself up.  “No, I’m fine it’s just...” she paused, realising that one arm hurt more than the other, _throbbing_ actually.  She lifted up her sleeve and sure enough there was a great big purple bruise from when she’d caught the metal railing during her free-fall in the Tardis.

She heard the Doctor take a sharp intake of breath.

“Rose, you need to tell me if you get hurt.” he said, his voice was low; angry.  But she knew he was angrier at himself for not noticing, than he was with her.  When she didn’t say anything back he added. “Please, it’s important.”

Rose nodded, even though she really hadn’t realised until now. “Yeah, okay.”

“Sit back down, the sonic can help reduce the swelling.” he said softly, guiding her back to the bed.

Rose watched him as he looked around her room for his suit jacket, having hung it over the bottom half of the bedframe the night before.  He rummaged around in his breast pocket for the sonic before sitting down next to her on the bed.  She let him hold her arm and listened to the sonic whirl as he worked, the pain lessening by the second.

He was clearly worried about her, she could hear the strain in his voice, but it was a lot more intense than usual.  He’d been on edge since they’d found each other and she knew why.

This was all fresh to him, being together again after such a long time, and with that came the realisation that they could lose each other again, just as easily as before.

She shared his fear, but she’d had more time to think it through.

Even before Canary Wharf there was this nagging fear at the back of her mind, that she’d get dropped off at a moment’s notice, left behind like Sarah – Jane.  And then when she, somehow, appeared back in her original universe, the possibility that she’d die before the Doctor ever returned to Cardiff was always there, given how long Jack had been waiting.  It forced her to accept that they might never see each other again; that she might have to spend the rest of her life waiting, searching.

But she’d also listened to Sarah – Jane’s advice and tried to make some sort of life for herself, enjoy the moments she was living, _in_ that moment, not wasting them pondering about things that might never be.

It was good advice, it was, she’d made some good memories, gained some great friends.

But the pain was always there, the ache.

And for a while she thought it was something that she’d have to live with forever.

But she’d found him! She _actually_ found him.  And this time she wasn’t going to take their time together for granted.  She’d leant from that mistake.  She’d cherish every second no matter what was happening, and she wouldn’t allow the fear of being torn from one another to erode her happiness; stop her from enjoying the moments they did have .

The Doctor, on the other hand, hadn’t had time to think all this through.  From the sound of it he’d gone from zero to a hundred with no buffer in between; where she was suddenly back and - the scariest thing for him - in danger.

But getting him to actually talk about that, on his own terms, was another thing entirely.

“Doctor.”

“Hmm?” he asked, keeping his focus on her arm, the blue glow colouring her skin.

“That goes for you too.”

He still didn’t look at her; he could tell what she meant but was trying to play it off. “Goes for me what?”

“If you’re hurt; you have to tell me, and not just if you get hit, but, if you _feel_ hurt.”

The Doctor froze up, as she suspected he would.

“Just promise me, yeah?”

The Doctor looked up at her. “Yeah.” he said solemnly

Rose smiled, relieved, baby steps she told herself, baby steps.  He was a nine hundred year old alien after all, and she wasn’t going to push the subject anymore.  She smiled cheekily. “Pinkie promise?”

“Oh! What!” the Doctor complained, throwing his head back in agitation, though Rose could tell he wasn’t actually as annoyed as he was letting on.

Rose’s smile grew as she wiggled her pinky finger at him.  “Come on.” she encouraged.

He looked at her begrudgingly as he went to tuck the sonic back into his jacket, only to realise he was still wearing pyjamas.  He tutted in annoyance as he leaned over to the end of the bed to put the sonic away.

She nodded to the t-shirt. “Very accurate.”

“Sure it didn’t used to be yours?” he remarked back.

“Nope.” She wiggled her pinky finger at him again.  “You still haven’t promised.” she teased.

“Seriously?”

“Yes!” she insisted, holding out her hand, pinkie primed and readied to be shook.  “It’s important.” she said, deepening her voice to mimic his.

“Oh, I do not sound like that.” he complained, but his tone was getting more and more playful, and Rose knew she was succeeding in cheering him up.

“Oh, you so do.”

“Don’t.”

“Do.” Rose said firmly, sticking her tongue out at him, something he always pretended to take great offense to, but always folded instantly whenever she did it.  She wiggled her pinky finger again.  “Come on.” she pleaded. “It’ll only take a second.”

The Doctor sighed in defeat and turned to directly face Rose on the bed.

Rose beamed. She still had it.

“Rose Tyler, I hereby,” The Doctor shuddered as though it caused him real pain.  “ _pinkie promise_ that I’ll tell you if something’s hurting me.” He linked his pinkie together with Rose and shook, grimacing as he took his hand away.  But Rose knew he loved it really.

“Starting with right now.” the Doctor announced. “Rose Tyler you’ve just taken all my dignity, honestly a Time Lord pinkie swearing it’s unheard of, completely mortifying”

“Really?” Rose feigned surprise. “That’s odd, didn’t realise you had any to begin with.”

The Doctor’s jaw fell open in shock.  “Rose Tyler, how very dare you. I have plenty dignity thank you very much.”

Rose looked around the room, narrowing her eyes, pretending to intently search for something. “Strange, cos I don’t see any, sure you didn’t leave it on the bus or somemin?”

“Ha, ha, very funny.” his voice sounded annoyed but he was smiling.

Rose giggled, very satisfied with herself.  She moved to adjust her position on the bed only to be sharply reminded that she was still in pain from the day before.  She winced and the Doctor’s happy mood flipped instantly.

“Rose.” he said sharply, holding her shoulders and scanning her frantically before looking into her eyes.  “I mean it, please, _please_. You’ve got to tell me if you’re hurt.”

“Yeah…” Rose nodded. “Yeah, I know.” she answered seriously, her breath a bit shaky from being grabbed so suddenly.

The Doctor released her, waiting for her to explain.

“It’s from the work I ‘ad to do on the ship.  You know like when you exercise too much and your muscles ache the next day? Well it feels like that but worse.”

The Doctor’s expression darkened for a brief second.  “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.” he explained, shifting his attention to her.  “The sonic won’t be able to help with that, and everything that could is back on the Tardis.” He got up from the bed and started pacing.  “Think, think, think, 21st century medication... there’s a lot of limitations.”

“Pete got me some bathbombs and I was just going to have a nice soak and take a couple of painkillers, that’ll help, yeah?”

The Doctor thought. “Errmm, well, given the limited technology of your time I’d say it’d do for now.” he admitted, moving back to Rose.  “Need some help?” he asked, extending a hand for her to grab onto.

“Thanks.” Rose said, as she heaved herself off the bed, the Doctor putting his other arm around her waist and hauling her up.  She looked around the room. “The bathbombs are in ‘ere somewhere.”

“Right,” the Doctor said dejectedly, keeping his arm around her waist as he looked over the messy room. “I think we’d have a better chance finding the lost city of Atlantis.”

“Oi! it’s not that bad.” she protested.

The Doctor stared at her, slowly raising a single eyebrow.

“It’s not.” she argued.

He looked to a collection of old mugs on the side table, and then to a pile of clothes on a chair that was hardly visible, then looked back at her, his eyebrow still raised.

“Okay maybe it’s a little bad.”

The Doctor grinned in victory.

“Shut up.” She nudged him with her shoulder.

The Doctor made a sort of happy half giggle and smiled even more. “Any idea where we should start looking for our missing city?” he asked

Rose rolled her eyes, but like him she couldn’t hide her smile. “I think it’s either on the chair or in the wardrobe, in a like red gift box thing.”

The Doctor released his hold and bounded over to the wardrobe, flinging the doors open and started flicking through the papers shoved on the top shelf.  “Oh Rose you really need some more clothes, oh, wait, they’re all over the floor instead.” he said like the big drama queen he was.

“Har Har.” Rose said dryly, while she carefully, and gradually, walked over to the ‘not quite dirty enough for the washing’ chair in the corner of the room.  She could feel the Doctor’s eyes on her as she moved.

“Alright?” he asked, suddenly next to her.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe I should look.”

“No, I’m ‘ere now, just finish checking the wardrobe.”

The Doctor studied her for a few more seconds before returning to his search, while Rose started picking at the layers of clothes on the chair.

“Ah HA!” the Doctor cried, wiggling a red box in her direction. “This it?”

“Yes.” she yelled happily, holding out her hand to take it as the Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Shall I escort you, my lady?” he joked.

Rose put on a posh accent. “Hmm, you shall Sir Doctor, you shall.”

The Doctor beamed, leading Rose over the piles of stuff on her floor, towards the bathroom down the hall. “Where’d you learn that one then, Pride and Prejudice?”

Rose dropped the accent. “Duh, mum ‘ad the whole series on tape.”

“Oh, ho, ho, I bet she did.”

“Right, I think I can manage from here.” Rose said, a touch of awkwardness in her voice as they reached the bathroom door.  “Thank you, Sir Doctor.” her posh accent returning.

The Doctor looked hesitant. “Right.” he said flatly.  “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” He paused again, his eyes cast downwards as he hesitated. “You know, climbingoutofthebathandeverything.”

Rose blinked. He didn’t mean it in that sort of way.  He was worried about her and honestly, she’d been dreading that part herself, but he was clearly uncomfortable with the idea.  “Yes.” she said with certainty. “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“Okay, it’s just that, well, you know, with you having trouble getting out of bed and all.” still not meeting her gaze.

“Yeah, I know.” she reassured. “But a nice bath will do me good, and mum always keeps the painkillers in the bathroom, so I’ll take one before I get in.”

The Doctor looked back up at her.  “Right, right, just making sure.” he said, the uneasiness still clear in his tone.

“Yeah.” she chuckled, nervously fiddling with her ear.  “You should probably wait downstairs, I’ll be a while, like _a while_ , a while.” she said, trying to ease both of their discomfort.

The Doctor’s face morphed into disgust.  “Oh, I don’t know about that, Rose.  Downstairs? Jack’s downstairs, and I tell you the things I saw last night, terrifying, truly terrifying.”

Rose gave him a sympathetic look, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “Mum and Jack?”

The Doctor nodded slowly, the horror clear in his eyes.

Rose burst out laughing, causing the Doctor to smile back. “Yeah, not pretty, is it?”

“No, it’s not.” he answered bluntly.

“Well don’t worry, mum’s usually round Karen’s with Tony by now, and Pete’s at work, so you’ll be safe.”

The Doctor didn’t quite believe her.

“Honest.” Rose assured.

The Doctor gave her one final look. “Sure you’ll be alright?”

“Doctor.” she complained with a sigh.

“Okay, right, going.” he said with a wave of his hand, turning around and heading towards the stairs, only looking back when he heard the bathroom lock slide shut.

She’ll be fine. It’s nothing serious.  And if she really got stuck, he’d know.  She’d have to come out the bathroom eventually.

Now he just needed to avoid seeing any more of Jack and Jackie’s... display he saw earlier.

He crept down the stairs, like a deer expecting to be pounced on.  The Doctor cautiously surveyed his surroundings, listening for any sign the Jackie was still on the premises.  Thankfully it seemed she was out.

With the coast clear the Doctor returned to his usual confident demeanour.  With nothing to do, he decided a nice cup of tea would keep him entertained for a few minutes while he waited for Rose.  As he walked towards the kitchen he saw Jack and Mickey sitting at the table in the dining room and poked his head around the door.  They were silent, fully focused on a mound of paperwork in front of them.  Mickey had headphones in, bopping his head to the beat.  Jack had a glass of scotch next to him, rubbing his jaw with his hand as he stared confusingly at a bit of paper.

How boring.

Jack looked up just in time to catch the Doctor peering in.

“Well, well, the 'Trouble Magnet' has awoken.” Jack grinned mischievously. “How was your night?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes and plonked himself down on the dining chair opposite Jack.  “Fine.” he stated flatly. “And before you ask, or make any lewd comment, no, nothing happened.”

“Sure about that?” Jack grinned. “You were up there for a _really_ long time.”

“Jack.” the Doctor warned, his eyes getting a little bit darker.  This topic was off the table, not to be discussed, especially not as a joke or some brag of conquest, even if Jack was only teasing.

Jack said nothing, but the look in his eyes made it clear to the Doctor he understood. “Well, I had a hell of a nigh –“

“Stop.” interrupted the Doctor, very quickly. “I don’t want to know.”

“Yeah, me neither.” commented Mickey.

Jack shrugged. “Your loss.” He returned his attention back on the papers in front of him, Mickey following soon after.

“So….” the Doctor said after seven seconds of silence. “What you two doing then?”

“Work.” they both said flatly.

“Right.” the Doctor leaned back on the chair, contemplating for the grand total of three seconds.  Was Rose finished in the bath yet?  He listened; nope she’d just turned the water on.  “Bit boring isn’t it?”

Mickey clearly heard him as he sighed in response but chose to ignore him.  How rude. 

Jack glanced up at him.  “Yeah,” he replied. “Part of being in the real world, it sucks but you gotta do it.”

“But you’re leaving soon.” the Doctor argued.  “You won’t be in the ‘real world,’ I mean I understand Mickey the idiot here.” the Doctor waved a hand towards Mickey. “But why do you have to do it?”

Jack looked at the Doctor. “I don’t,” he admitted.  “But if I don’t do it then the team will have to pick up the slack, and since I’m the leader and all, that’s not a good look. So, sorry Doctor but it looks like you’ll have to entertain yourself for a while.”

“And Jackie said not to touch anything.” Mickey added sternly.

The Doctor slumped. He was bored, bored, bored.  He crossed his legs on the table and leaned back on the chair, grabbing a nearby pen and balancing it on his nose in a desperate bid to entertain himself.

“But, y’know.” Jack said after a few minutes, quickly glancing at Mickey with a devilish glint in his eye. “Even when Rose comes down, you’ll still have to wait.”

“Really?” the Doctor asked in surprise, sitting up and taking his legs off the table. “How come?” 

Mickey took his headphones out and shot Jack a confused look, but Jack ignored it.  “She still needs to do hers.” Jack explained. “But… if you really want something to do maybe you could help; do her paperwork so she doesn’t have to.”

Mickey still looked confused, but Jack gave Mickey a knowing glance and he seemed to get it, the light bulb lighting up above his head.  “You could you know, Rose ‘as got loads to do.” he agreed enthusiastically.

“Oh God, You can say that again.” Jack added for emphasis. “Hours’ worth.”

The Doctor looked between them both, considering the idea.  He didn’t fancy waiting even longer for Rose.

“And if you ‘elp her out, she can take you out then, show you the sights.” Mickey suggested.

The Doctor shot Mickey and insulted glare.  “I’m a Time Lord, Mickey. I already know ‘the sights'”

“Oh well, I guess you just have to sit there and wait.” Jack added with a shrug, getting back to his paper work.  Mickey copied Jack’s actions, putting his headphones back in his ears.

“Now, hold on, wait.”

Jack looked up expectantly.

“I didn’t say no, did I? How hard can it be?”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “You sure? ‘The Doctor’ wants to do paperwork?”

“Well, no I don’t _want_ to, who would _want_ to do something as boring as paperwork, well I suppose the chap who invented it.” The Doctor shook his head to snap himself out of his own ramblings and impatiently motioned his hand for Jack to pass him some papers. “Just pass it to me.”

“Alright, if you think you can keep up.”

The Doctor scoffed. “Of course I can keep up.”

Jack smirked as he flicked through his own thick pile and separated a clump, passing it to the Doctor.  “Okay, this one is for the hub.  It has to be rebuilt and UNIT needs the schematics for the rift manipulator.” Jack lifted a clunky metal box from the floor onto the table, opening the lock on the side and passing the blueprint papers inside to the Doctor, who snatched them and instantly started flicking through them. “And these are the originals, I was going to just … ask Rose to transfer the specs to fit UNIT’s format.”

“What so, just copy and paste?”

“Yeah, but you have to use UNIT’s template, they’re really picky about that. And if you want to make any improvements to the original, then, be my guest – Oh, but all the materials have to be available on Earth, and the device itself can’t take up more than one by one mile squared.”

“Right.” said the Doctor, still inspecting the original blueprints.  The ‘rift manipulator’ as they called it was actually quite advanced technology, but not perfect.  It might actually be interesting to work on, especially with the limitations of current Earth technology, like an old academy project.

About two and a half hours later Rose poked her head through the door; the Doctor so engrossed in what he was doing, he hadn’t even heard her come down the stairs, but lit up once she entered the room, wearing some comfy jeans and a t-shirt, looking revitalised.

“Rose!” he said happily, standing up to give her a hug. “How are you feeling?”

Rose puffed air out of her cheeks as she pulled away from the hug.  “Oh, much better now, thanks.” She looked around the room, spotting the pile of paper work, a smirk forming on her face.

The Doctor looked expectantly at her, like a dog expecting a treat for doing a trick.

“You lose a bet or somemin then?” she asked instead.

The Doctor looked perplexed. “No?”

“Oh… then why are you doing Jack and Mickey’s paperwork?”

The Doctor’s face fell, like a stone sinking in a pool of water.  “What?” he squeaked.

Jack and Mickey burst out in a fit of laughter.

It took the Doctor a few seconds.

“You!” He pointed an accusing finger at Jack. “You tricked me!”

I’m sorry Doctor, I couldn’t resist.” Jack explained through his laughter.

The Doctor looked at Rose for back up but she clearly thought it was hilarious too, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to fight the urge to smile, failing miserably of course.  When she caught him looking at her, her face changed and she patted his back sympathetically.  “Hey, don’t worry about it.” she said, pitying him. “And, anyway, I still need to do mine yet, so unless you want to ‘av a wonder about in town on your - ”

“No.” the Doctor said instantly.  He’d almost lost her, had actually lost her, for far too long of a time for him to be anywhere near comfortable enough for them to separate given the choice.

There was a hint of sadness on Rose’s face but it was gone by the time she continued. “ – then you might as well keep on what you’re doing because I’m goin’ to be here a while.”

The Doctor glared at Jack, who was smiling triumphantly.  “No need Rosie.” Jack said smugly. “Me and Mickey saw how tired you were last night and took care of it before you woke up.”

“Wot, seriously?” Rose asked, overjoyed.

The Doctor scowled, Jack and Mickey had played him like a fiddle, and they both knew it.

“Yeah.” said Mickey, looking very proud of himself. “All sorted, you owe me a favour though.”

“Aw thanks!” Rose exclaimed, completely over the moon, giving them both a hug.

The Doctor was still scowling.  That could've been him. Oh, how he was going to get them back.

Rose laughing snapped him out of it.  He’d spent so long thinking he’d never hear it again, that, when he did, he felt like everything was right with the universe.  “The look on your face.” she teased.

“Well, it’s an outrage.” he complained, but all genuine anger was gone.  “You try to do something nice, honestly the state of the world these days. Well, then again, twenty – twenty, isn’t too far away, but the point still stands.”

“Tell you what.” said Rose, linking her arm through his.  “Why don’t I treat you to lunch? Will that cheer you up?”

The Doctor beamed. “Yes, yes it will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Catching Up
> 
> When: Errmm, next week? Maybe this Wednesday? 
> 
> Other notes: You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'd love to hear what you think. Comments fill me with determination. Even if it's to tell me about a spelling mistake or something.


	4. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor finds out what Rose was up to on Pete's World.

“The chips here are so good.” Rose said, munching down on the food in front of her.

The Doctor smiled, leaning back on his cheap, plastic, garden chair with his arms folded.  He was wearing his suit, still grimy from last night of course – well it’s not like he had anything else to wear, did he?

They were sitting at a two person table by the window, looking out into a small high street close to where the Tyler family lived; a nice little cheap and cheerful café.

The Doctor grinned. “Rose Tyler and chips, all is right with the universe.”

Rose smiled at him as she took another mouthful. “Yeah, I’ve missed the chips ‘ere, on Pete’s world they just tasted, I dunno… weird.”

“Weird? Sure it wasn’t the Krillitanes at work again?”

“Yes.” Rose said with certainty. “Unless they put the oil on every chip in London, and trust me I checked.”

The Doctor smiled at her but it didn’t meet his eyes.  She’d not really said much about life on Pete's World, and he wondered why.  Did she really have that bad of a time?  Or, was it just because she didn't want to remind him that they'd been apart? 

“So, how was it then?” the Doctor asked, trying to be casual. “Life on old Pete’s world?”

Rose tensed up.

Oh, it was bad. He lightly grabbed her shoulder, leaning over the table. “Rose?”

He should’ve just left it, now he didn’t just _want_ to know, he _needed_ to know.  Had something terrible happened?  Had someone hurt her? Or was it something else.... someone else?  Did she have someone she missed on the parallel world and she didn’t want to tell him about it?

Rose smiled at him and he took his hand away, but she was nervous.  She started fiddling with her sleeves under the table.  “Well it weren’t exactly a walk in the park, I’ll say that.” She laughed, but it was just a ruse to distract from the pain in her voice.

But the Doctor could hear it. 

This wasn’t good. Rose was always so open, always willing to share stories about her life.  Now, she didn’t want to say, and the only reason he really knew Rose to hold back was if she’d gotten hurt, and she didn't want to worry him. 

Now he really, really, needed to know.

“Rose, what happened?” 

“It’s just…” Rose began dismissively.  “When you show up one day claiming to know all about aliens and all you’ve got to show for it is the word of Pete Tyler, who happens to be your long lost dad, people don’t exactly take you seriously.” She laughed it off again, but the Doctor could tell it really stung.  “And Earth was I dunno… just different, I mean it _looked_ the same, but everything was different, the way people acted and stuff.” She thought for a brief moment, thinking of the best way to explain it.  “Pete’s world was less free, like you couldn’t just walk about and stuff… well unless you were rich like Pete, but that always made me feel bad so I never did it. And I tried to change it, I did, talked to politicians at their parties and that, tried to listen to what people wanted.”

The Doctor smiled proudly at her.  “Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth.” he announced, to almost the whole café.

It was meant to make her feel better, saying that.  But it had the complete opposite effect.  Rose’s gaze faltered, casting her eyes to the table, her body becoming even more rigid.

The Doctor’s face fell instantly, scanning her up and down. “Rose?”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” she said defeatedly, still nervously fidgeting.  It took a few more moments for her to look up at him, a troubled expression on her face. “Yeah, I sort of messed up big time at Torchwood.”

He dragged his chair right next to hers, the plastic scraping on the wooden lino floor.  Once he sat back down she reached for his hand, clutching it strongly. 

“What happened?” the Doctor asked gently.

She shook her head in frustration and looked out into the street. “There was this…thing, this alien, but it was like… simple, you know?”

The Doctor nodded.

“We don’t know how it got to Earth, or if it was like the space pig the Slitheen used, but it didn’t understand." She looked at him resolutely. "It was scared.”

The Doctor nodded again, just letting her talk.

Rose broke eye contact once more, her voice sounding frustrated, furious even, all of it directed at herself.  “And I was _so_ sure, I could calm it down.  I knew if I could just…” she sighed, all fight gone from her words. “But it was big, I mean humongous, and it was dangerous, it’d killed these two people on the street.”

The Doctor’s grip tightened. He knew it.  She’d been hurt because he wasn’t there to protect her.  He was the Doctor, and there was no one in the universe he needed to protect more than Rose Tyler, but he’d failed.

Rose rubbed her free hand up and down his arm a few times.  “It wasn’t like that. It didn’t go after me.” she reassured, but the way she said it made it seem like she was disappointed that wasn’t the case.

The Doctor shot her a confused look, wanting her to elaborate.

She didn’t, not straight away.  But it was clear that whatever had happened, Rose was blaming herself for the whole thing.  She leaned her elbow back on the table, covering her eyes with her hand, as though she was trying to hide that she was crying.  But she wasn’t, she was angry and disappointed. 

The Doctor patiently waited for her to be ready. 

She stewed for a few more seconds before letting out a frustrated roar.  “I mean, I was _so close_.” the anguish clear in her voice, moving her hand about for emphasis.  “I could feel it. Just one more second, and it… they …whatever, would’ve calmed down.  I knew it, I just knew. If I just 'ad a tiny bit of time.  Then...” She stopped, all fury drained from her voice as her body slumped back into the chair in defeat.  She let out another sigh, trying to refocus herself.  “But then this other agent, Lil, she charged in and it went straight for her.” Her voice cracked.  “And it just ripped her apart.” she said meekly. 

The Doctor let go of her hand, just for a moment, so he could put his closest arm around her shoulders, giving her his other hand to hold as a replacement.  Rose leaned closer to him and rested her head on the top of his shoulder, readjusting her position slightly on the chair.

“She lived, but she was never the same, that’s the thing about living day after day, you ‘av to live with the consequences.  She was only there cos everyone knew I didn’t carry a gun, Mickey ‘ad to shoot it in the end.” Her tone turned lighter as to move on from the subject.  “So… yeah, they stuck me behind a desk after that.  Trickier to try and find you that way.  But then not long after we wound up ‘ere so it all worked out.” She gave a nervous smile and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I wasn’t there.” he said solemnly.

Rose was quick to shut down his line of thought “No.” she denied adamantly.  “It was my mess to deal with.” she said firmly, before wavering and becoming nervous, her gaze faltering.  “But it was really tough.” she admitted, her voice small and strained.

The Doctor gave her a squeeze and rested his head on the top of hers.  They stayed like that for a few moments, completely ignoring the café patrons around them.

“I’ve missed holding your hand.” she said tenderly.

In that second the Doctor felt as though his organs had physically transformed into something plush and fuzzy, melting away his hardened barriers from the inside.  Something relaxed in him that he didn't even know he was tense about.  It was so good to have her here.

Rose seemed to be able to sense it, with her acute Doctor emotion detection capabilities that she seemed to have.  She shuffled in the seat so she could wrap her free arm across his chest, holding him tightly.

“Me too.” he said earnestly, his voice soft and quiet. “Oh, so much.”

They sat there for a few more moments in comfortable silence.  This was the first time either of them had had any time just to take one another in, just be together.  It’d all been rush, rush, rush, one problem after another.  Now, they could just enjoy a moment's break from running.

“Doctor?” Rose asked after a while.

“Hmm.” 

“Before we go to that Burger place of Jack’s, can we stop off somewhere else first?”

The Doctor took his head off hers to look at her face.  He was a bit taken back by the question, usually if Rose wanted to go somewhere she’d just tell him; 'I need to see mum.' 'What about Jack?' 'I want chips, _London chips_.' 'Doctor, take me to this Elton wanker right now, I'll fuckin' smash his fuckin face in.  Oo does 'e think 'e is?' Yes, that was the day he learnt there was a line in regards to Jackie that you just didn't cross, _ever_. 

But here she was asking something and not just spur of the moment, it was clear she'd been thinking about it. It must be really important to her, or, she knew it might not be allowed; 'So I was thinking, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?'

They both remembered how well that turned out. 

“And where would that be?”

“To the flat.” she said, looking up at him. “Just after Canary Wharf.”

The Doctor closed up at the mention of the place, wincing as he looked away from her and gazed out into the crowd at the café instead.  He didn't like thinking about that.  It forced him to acknowledge that it actually happened, that that was the reason she was no longer with him.  Not that she was just down her mums for a bit like he'd try to kid himself into believing.  He thought it'd effect him less, now that she was pressed against him, but it didn't.  If anything it terrified him, because it meant that there was a possibility it could happen again. 

Rose unwrapped her arm from around his front, so she could put her hand in the middle of his chest, close to his hearts.  “Hey, we’re okay, yeah? We’re tough.”

He gave a weak smile as he thought for a moment. “We are tough.” he agreed quietly.  “Super tough.” he added more enthusiastically. “Tough as nails, us.”

She smiled, satisfied she dropped her hand from his chest and wrapped her arm back around him. “And don’t worry, I’m not asking to go back and cross our timelines or anythin’ like that, but you remember when we ‘ad to clean Mickey’s flat out?”

The Doctor became even more tense.  Now, there was another horrific memory he hated even more than Canary Wharf.  Not Mickey's flat though, hers. 

But Rose continued unawares. “The council only gives you a few weeks and then they just gut the whole place, chuck everything away so the next family can move in.  Mum lost all the photos of her mum and dad, everything, all my school pictures.  It really hit her hard after she’d spent a few weeks in the parallel world and she had nothing to prove that she existed, y' know? I was thinking we could just go back and pack up, we could go at night so no one sees us, and then when the council does come they wouldn’t know any better.”

“I can’t.” he said, not looking at her. 

Rose nodded, but was unable to hide her disappointment.  That was most of her life in that flat, her old toys, the pictures of her friends, the bronze medal she got for Gymnastics when she was eleven, Mickey’s stuff from when they cleaned out his flat.  She tried to fight against the feeling of loss seeping into her.  The image of all of her stuff on a landfill, her mark she left on the world, the things that were important to her and her mum gone forever. “It’s okay, I just needed to make sure, no harm in asking, yeah?”

“No, Rose.” the Doctor said, stopping her in her thoughts, still avoiding eye contact. 

Through her arm across his front, she could feel his breathing becoming slightly more laboured.  His lip quivered slightly as he stopped and started on what he wanted to say.  She waited him out.

“It’s not that.” he said, before sharply turning to look her in the eye.  "It was me. I did it."

Rose didn't understand.

“We can’t go back, because then I’d be going back on my own timeline.  I’ve already been back to the flat, Rose.  All your stuff is back on the Tardis, all of it. I didn’t know what was important, so I just took everything.”

Rose blinked at him a few times, the Doctor desperately trying to gauge her reaction. 

Then she burst into tears, full on sobbing, weeping, ugly crying.

All the people turned in the café to look at her but she just couldn’t stop, no matter how much she tried.  She hadn’t realised until now, just how much that stuff had meant to her.  How much she missed having something that was hers, that’d been hers for a long time, that had a story behind it that only she, and the people close to her, knew about.  A footprint in the snow, things to prove; I was here, I lived here, I suffered and overcame and this is what I have to show for it.

The Doctor stared at Rose for a few moments, clearly not expecting her to react that way.  Rose noticed his own eyes were starting to become a little watery as he pulled her closer.  “It’s okay, Rose.” His voice turned more jovial. "Oh ye of little faith, did you really think I'd let all your stuff be thrown on some toxic landfill?"

He'd said it as a joke, to try and steer the conversation.  But she just kept sobbing, the Doctor looking more and more at a loss with each passing second. 

“Is she okay?” one of the waitresses asked him, before becoming flustered after she realised that was a pretty stupid question to ask. “I mean, do you want us to call someone or something?”

The Doctor looked over to Rose who was unable to speak through her tears but tried to wave the waitress away.  “Could you bring her a coke or something?  Anything sugary.” he answered.

The waitress nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. 

"Rose, what do you need me to do?" the Doctor asked, she could hear how worried he was.  He'd never seen her cry like this before after all, well, apart from Bad Wolf Bay.  But she couldn't answer right now, she needed to focus on calming down. 

"Do you want to go back to Jackie's?" 

She shook her head, the idea of walking through the streets in such a state was not one she liked the sound of. 

A couple of little old ladies who were having a natter at a nearby table, got up and went over to them.  One of them passing Rose a hanky from her plaid coat pocket.  “There, there, love it’s okay.” she soothed, placing a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder. 

Rose mumbled something in gratitude and used the hanky to wipe her tears away.  She wasn't crying as fiercely as before but was still unable to stop completely.  She wanted to stop, but she couldn't.  How could she? Her mum would be so happy.  The Doctor had done it again, something impossible. But perhaps that was the real reason why her body was reacting this way.  It'd finally hit her full force that he was back in her life. 

The old lady in the plaid coat looked back to her friend, who brought over both of their plastic garden chairs and put them around her and the Doctor’s table.  The lady who had given Rose the hanky, sat down, still patting her shoulder. “Don’t worry dear we all have those days.” 

“What happened?” Rose heard the other old lady, who was shorter than the one in the plaid coat, ask the Doctor, just as the young waitress placed a glass of coke and a little tub of ice-cream in front of her, hesitating on whether to leave or not. 

"She and her mum were stuck abroad with those cyb… metal men things, started running about, and the council thought she and her mum had died and cleaned out their flat before they had a chance to get there stuff, but I was in London at the time, so I managed to do it before they got there.  But we’ve only just.... met up again recently so I’ve only just told her now.” the Doctor explained to the crowd, his hand still firmly holding hers, and his other arm still wrapped tightly around her.

Rose managed to calm down a bit more, taking a big sniff just as the young waitress decided she wanted to stay after all and sat on a spare chair opposite her. 

“Aw, that was lucky dearie.” said the old lady in the plaid coat. “It’s terrible when you think you’ve lost something isn’t it?”

Rose took another big sniff and nodded, wiping her face hard with the hanky.  “Yeah.” she said shakily. She felt the Doctor squeeze her, happy that she'd recovered enough to speak. 

“I remember when I thought I lost my wedding ring in Tesco.” said the old lady in the plaid coat. “Do you remember that Doris?”

“Oh yes I remember that, you called me in floods of tears.”

The woman in the plaid coat turned to Rose and the Doctor.  “Lost my husband you see, long ago now.  But always kept the ring on.” she explained, Rose smiling gently through her tear stained face, glad for the distraction.  “Hardly ever took it off, tried to once and I thought it was glued on it was so stiff, but somehow it came off when I was carrying the bloody shopping bags.  I couldn’t believe it, I mean I’d had that ring for years, years. And it was right in the shop so anyone could’ve swanned off with it, worth a bit you know?”

The rest of the table nodded along.

“So how’d you get it back?” Rose asked, a lot calmer now, her tears having stopped but her eyes still puffy and her makeup smudged.

“A little girl spotted it and handed it in to the desk.  I tell you the relief that came over me. Always good people out there you know?”

The Doctor and Rose smiled at the old woman, clearly agreeing with her statement. 

“Yeah, that’s true.” said the waitress hesitantly, unsure if she was welcomed into the group or not, but wanting to help.  “My girlfriend’s mum was in London when those metal things came along and she said, that even though it was as bad there as the news was saying, at the same time, it was amazing to see everyone trying to help, not just the doctor’s and firefighters and all that, but normal people; helping clear up, look for other people’s family and stuff like that. Oh, and there were no trains running or anything like that so all the locals were giving lifts, my girlfriend's mum got a lift from a retired nurse on the way to the hospital to help out.”

“That’s amazing.” said Rose, fully focused on the story now.

“I know right!” said the waitress enthusiastically.  “It’s such a cool story... and so yeah... there's always good people around.”

They chatted with the strangers for about another thirty minutes, just having a good natter and sharing stories, until the waitress; Charlotte, was called back to her post, and Rose excused them both, thanking everyone for helping her, before going to the bathroom to wash her face. 

It was moments like this that confirmed for the Doctor just how much he loved humanity.  Those people had been strangers to them, they had no obligation to Rose, yet they tried to help her. 

They chose to be kind, even when it wouldn't benefit them.  It even got Charlotte in trouble. 

The Doctor tried not to count how many times he looked at the bathroom door before Rose finally emerged.  He couldn't help but break out into a splitting grin.  When he couldn't see her or the other members of the gang, it felt like he was all alone again.  So, even if she was gone for a few minutes, it worried him.  "Better?" he asked happily. 

"Yes." she smiled, before extending her arms for a hug.  He happily picked her up in a bear hug, so, _so_ , glad that she wasn't crying anymore.  That was like a knife straight through his chest, even if it was because she was happy. 

"Right off we go then." 

But as he lowered her to the floor and looked towards the door, Rose gently guided him down to her level and kissed him solidly on the cheek before touching her forehead to the side of his head as she spoke.  “Doctor, thanks, yeah?” she said sincerely.

The Doctor hastily nodded, inwardly telling his cheeks not to go red. “Yeah, no problem, yep.” 

Rose pulled away and grabbed his hand.  "So, back to the house then, yeah?" she asked, thankfully sounding a lot better than earlier. 

"Oh, yes!" 

“So, Wot about you then? What ‘av you been doing since I’ve been gone?” Rose asked as they started walking back. 

He puffed air out his cheeks and spoke casually.  “Where do I even begin? Drained the Thames.”

“Ha! I knew that was you!” Rose triumphed.

The Doctor updated Rose on his adventures with Martha, and what happened on his end with the 456.  He talked about New Earth, and the Weeping Angels, and being trapped on a spaceship hurdling into the sun.  He left out the parts about becoming human, the Lazarus project, and the Daleks.  He would tell her, but not now.  Eventually Rose broke him off from his ramblings to ask about Martha, and if she left because of her.

His face fell. “No, no.” the Doctor assured. “It was all my fault.”

Rose studied him for a bit. “How come?”

The Doctor let out a tired sigh.  He knew she was going to ask that sooner or later.  “Well, I guess I, well…,” the Doctor broke eye contact.  “I guess I wasn’t dealing with you leaving as well as I thought I was.” Horrifically, actually.  I just wanted something to kill me for good.  But he dare not say that part.  He felt Rose hug his arm. “And, I guess I was a bit snappy with her…” he paused, hesitating on what to say next.  “And, I might’ve mentioned you a bit too much.” He risked a glance to Rose for a reaction, knowing how important that had been when she met Sarah - Jane.  But she didn't look happy, just sad.  “And, well, I guess what made it worse...” He felt Rose tense, like she knew what he was going to say.  “Was that, well, she, sort of…” He let out a big breath. “She fancied me.”

“Oh Doctor.” Rose said sadly.

“Yeah.” the Doctor said dejectedly, sensing her disappointment.

“Mum’s right, wot are we goin’ to do with you?” 

She was joking, but it hit hard.  He really had made so many mistakes, especially with her, but he just couldn't let her go, not now.  Luckily, extremely, extremely so, Rose still wanted to stay.  He gave a sad smile. “No idea… put up with me, I hope.”

Rose tightened her grip. "Forever." she said, with her teasing tongue in teeth smile. 

Oh why did she have to say that?  With that smile? Even with Canary Wharf, how could that word still fill him with so much joy and hope for the future, make him feel all gooey inside?  He giggled like a mad man, but maybe it was more like a school girl. 

“You know she’s going to cry more than I did when I tell her right?” she added. 

"Really, Jackie? Sobbing? Eww, no thanks." the Doctor said flatly.

“And she's probably goin' to kiss you, like a lot.” Rose said smugly, her free hand covering her mouth as she gleefully awaited his reaction.

He stopped in his tracks, his expression was dire. "Please, no, not again." 

Rose burst out in a fit of hysterics, dragging him back towards the house. "Don't worry, I'll stop 'er." 

When they got into the house he waited by the entrance while Rose went to the kitchen to find Jackie. 

Now, while Rose seemed fine on the way home, she got exactly two words in before she herself started blubbering again.  Jackie, amazingly, seemed able to understand her as she burst into the hallway, tears streaming down her face and scrambling towards him at a frightening pace, like a bull to a matador. 

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.” Jackie cried over and over again, holding her arms around him in a vice like grip, comparable to a Boa Constrictor, while Rose rubbed Jackie's back, still sobbing herself. 

The Doctor tried not to move, not really sure what else to do. 

About a second or two later Jack, Mickey, and Pete appeared from various rooms of the house.

“Wot’s wrong?” Mickey asked.

Both Jackie and Rose replied but what they were saying was anyone’s guess, as it came out in a series of wails and mumbled sounds not belonging to the phonetic alphabet.

"Uh - Huh." said Jack, clearly not understanding a thing. 

Pete, Jack and Mickey simultaneously all moved their heads towards the Doctor, in hope of an explanation. 

“Don’t ask.” 

“Oh, you, come ‘ere you, your such a good man.” Jackie praised, ringing his neck and pulling him down.  He looked to Rose, his eyes begging for help. 

Rose pulled lightly at Jackie's shoulders.  "E'doesn'tlikethatmum." she said, barely coherent.

But Jackie understood, and let go completely, allowing Rose to guide her to the kitchen, Pete following them.  The Doctor went to follow too, as did everyone else, but Pete held up a hand. "I'll take care of this, just watch the baby in the front room." 

They nodded. 

Tony was in a playpen in the living room, but Jack picked him up and started wiggling a toy around him, making him laugh, while the Doctor explained to them both what happened. 

“What, even my stuff from the flat?” Mickey asked.

“Yes.”

Mickey looked genuinely touched. “Aw, thanks Boss.”

“Yep.”

“And you didn’t chuck my stuff from the Tardis?” Jack asked.

“No.”

Jack got up from the sofa, holding on to Tony with one hand, and pinched the Doctor’s cheek with the other. “Aw, Doc I always knew you were a big softy.”

“Get off.” the Doctor swatted him away, and Tony exploded into a fit of giggles. 

Twenty minutes passed before the rest of the gang came back into the sitting room, Rose plonking herself down next to the Doctor.  "Alright?" he asked softly.

Rose nodded. 

Jackie was carrying two large Primark bags in her hand, her eyes still puffy. She handed one bag to the Doctor and the other to Jack, while Pete took Tony back and put him in the playpen. 

“Thanks Doll.” Jack winked.

“What’s this?” the Doctor asked.

“Wot do you think it is?”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.

“It’s clothes you numpty. You can’t stay in that dirty thing the ‘ole time, can you?” she motioned to his suit. 

“You got me another suit?” the Doctor asked peering hopefully in the bag.

Jackie spluttered. “Wot do you think I am, made of money?  No, jeans and a few t –shirts. You’re only goin’ to throw them away after anyway, wots the point?”

The Doctor pulled a face. “Jeans!” he exclaimed, pulling a pair out to inspect them.  “Me? Jeans? Me wearing jeans?” He turned to Rose, completely insulted. “Jeans Rose, jeans?”

“Oh, I don't know, might work for you, y' know.” 

"Oh, really?" the Doctor asked cheekily.  Well, what could he say? He'd got lucky with this one.

"God, yes." Jack added. 

The Doctor made a face and chose to ignore Jack's comment.  He inspected what else was in the bag.  “Well, it’ll do, I guess.” he said begrudgingly, closing the bag and putting it on the floor. 

Jackie had gotten him some new pyjamas; simple checkered ones that he might actually keep.  But she'd also gotten him socks and… underwear.  A tad embarrassing, no one had gotten him underpants before, not a least someone’s mother.  It was one of those shared domestic things that he normally kept to himself, making him feel a bit exposed and uncomfortable.  And anyway how did she know what kind he wore? It wasn't like  she could ask Rose? Must just be lucky… unless.  He looked to Mickey.

Mickey’s eyes widened, pleading at him.

Ah, Jackie had asked him, then.

But he was a man of his word, if he could help it, so upheld the agreement from Christmas. 

_ It was just the two of them taking the bin bags full of the killer Christmas tree down to the Tardis in case it raised any alarms in the bins on the estate. _

_ “So… Mick, Mick, Mickety, Mickey, Rose told me you were the one who…” _

_ “Stop. Don’t talk to me about it. Like ever.” _

_ “Right, yes, but.” _

_ Mickey looked at him sternly. “Ever.” _

_ “Yes, couldn’t agree more.” _

Luckily it seemed there little unsaid conversation went unnoticed.  “Right, you want dinner?” Jackie asked him.

“Oh, go on then.” he conceded.

When he'd gone in there, the flat was so quiet, desolate, only the sound of rustling as he filled the plastic bags echoing around the room.  Then his solitary footsteps on the grating as he walked into the Tardis, alone, carrying the boxes back and forth. He was so low then. Without the Tylers, the flat was just some empty concrete box, just a hollow shell. And without Rose, the Tardis seemed so silent and endless. 

But here they were, everyone, even Jack. And Rose sitting right next to him, talking with her family. And she'd kissed him! 

Yes, it wasn't that bad, not bad at all. 

He just needed to stay awake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Meetings, Fights, and No sleep, Oh my
> 
> When: Next week? Sunday maybe. 
> 
> Other notes: I always thought, why did Rose decide to carry a gun in journey’s end, what was her story of working her way up through Torchwood? After Doomsday, did the Doctor or Rose’s family clean out the flat before the council came and chucked all their stuff out? I’ve had to do that a couple of times in my life, it’s never pretty. 
> 
> And for those unfamiliar with how London council homes work (well my borough anyway), where Rose lives is owned by the government and rented at a low cost, you can do whatever you want to it on the inside decorating wise, if someone dies in the council house and it’s there name on the lease, you have about two weeks to go in and clean everything up, then the council comes in, chucks what is left, and (in some cases) redecorates the house to meet safety standards for the next people to move in.


	5. The Sights Only the Locals Know

The Doctor really didn't want to sleep.

It wasn’t just the fact that he had nightmares; it was that he couldn’t hide it. The things he was running from catching up to him, all his mistakes taunting him, punishing him with horrific visions, driving him into a frenzy. He’d wake up caked in sweat and sometimes not even on the bed.

And now he was terrified of ‘drifting off’ again and screaming the house down. He didn’t want Rose to see him like that. And he must thrash around to end up on the floor, what if he hit Rose? If that happened he would never forgive himself.

And, of course, there was the rest of the Tyler family; the walls weren’t exactly soundproof like they were on the Tardis. He cared about them and they’d stuck by him so far, but that surely would be too much for them to deal with?

He could tell Rose was worried about him though. It’d taken her a lot longer to enter REM sleep, after he'd insisted on formulating 'important repair works' instead of going to sleep with her. 

Only two more nights to go, then he could sleep on the Tardis.

He could handle it.

It wasn’t exactly like there was much running going on. It was just sitting and talking really, not exactly burning the candle at both ends. He could stay awake until then. Yes, it was possible, he could do it. Sure, he felt tired and a bit sluggish, but other than that he was doing okay, he was running on the high of being, well, happy. He hadn’t even snapped at Jackie.

Unfortunately, that happiness high grinded to a halt when Jack announced that he, Mickey, and Rose were going to an important work meeting and he wasn’t allowed to come.

“Sorry Doctor, Torchwood only.”

Rose asked him privately if he was going to be okay by himself. He nodded and said; yes, of course, why wouldn’t he be? But that was an hour ago, and he wanted her to come back, like now. It was only Jackie, him, and Tony in the house, not exactly ideal, but far better than him being alone. 

“Oi, you’re meant to ‘elp clean up after you eat, you lazy sod. And hurry up in there I’m bursting.” yelled Jackie, thudding the bathroom door, just as he was about to wash his hair. 

“Yes, Jackie.” the Doctor said through gritted teeth, rushing to collect his things.

He was just about to fold his pyjamas into a Primark bag in Rose's room when Jackie knocked on the door, bothering him, again.

“Yes.”

Jackie opened the door and stepped into the room. “Bloody hell you can actually see the floor.” she exclaimed, gazing around at the tidy bedroom, before turning to look at the Doctor. “This wasn’t you was it?”

“No.”

Jackie looked him up and down. He'd just changed into the jeans and top that she’d gotten him yesterday - well he didn't have anything else did he? “Suits you that does. Everythin’ fit okay?” she asked.

“Yep.” he replied, rocking on his heels.

“Good, come on then, since you’re not doin’ anything you can ‘elp me carry the shopping.”

“Shopping? Oh, no, no, no, no, no.” the Doctor said quickly. “I’m a Time Lord, I don’t do shopping.”

“I doubt they’re supposed to eat people out of ‘ouse and ‘ome in all, but ‘ere you are.” Jackie said bluntly. “Now come on, shift, unless you want me to start charging, and with the money I’m spendin’ on you, you’d ‘ave to get a full time job to pay it all back.”

He stared at her for a few moments. “Fine.” he grumbled, swiftly moving past her.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Okay maybe Rose was worrying about the Doctor a bit too much. He was going to be okay, he could handle her mum for a few hours….

He was _doomed_.

Any other time she would’ve stayed, or at least brought him with her, but this was the last official meeting with Torchwood and she wanted to be there for the team. They were going back to normal life and she knew from experience; that was never easy. 

She hadn’t had a chance to tell the Doctor yet, but she’d had to do it when they first arrived back in their original universe. She and her family had no money, no proof of ID, and they’d been gone so long that the council had given their flat away. And what’s worse the Doctor – she assumed – had wiped all their records so every bureaucrat, or whatever, they called thought they were trying to have them on.

Out of everything she’d seen, everything she’d done and become, she was back working in a shop, and not even a nice one, bloody Card Factory. That place was utterly shambolic. She’d dealt with a lot in her time, but she’d take the farting Slitheen over the snobby, rude, cows who’d used to get snappy with her over 35p, any day.

_“The sign says three cards for one pound fifty, why am I being charged one pound, eighty-five._ _Did you even finish primary school?”_

_Yes actually, and saved the universe a few times, so you can shut the fuck up now._

_But her family needed the money, so she smiled politely._ _“So sorry, but as you can see on the poster, our deal only covers our medium sized cards – which it clearly says, if you took the time to fucking read the whole thing,_ _did **you** even go to primary school?_ _– and these are our large sized cards.”_

_“Humph, why that’s the smallest depiction of ‘large’ I’ve ever seen.”_

_Yeah, well sounds like your husband’s the same way given how wound up you are._

_“Sorry, I don’t ‘ave any control over that, but you can try calling up the CEO, maybe he’ll change it for you?” she explained._ _She tried not to sound sarcastic, she really did, but she knew she'd failed when a fellow colleague sniggered just behind the woman._

_“I want to speak to your manager.”_

_Rose inwardly sighed. “Sure, right away.”_

Rose snapped herself out of her thoughts, yeah, well at least they wouldn’t have to deal with anything like _that_.

Still, it’d be tough for them; adapting back to normal life was hard. But there’s still something to gain, from living an ordinary life day after day. If anything working back in a shop again reminded her that everyone had a story. The Doctor said there’s nothing more important than an ordinary person, and she never really understood it until she’d gone back to work.

For her, the Doctor was the one who taught her that she could make a difference, that any ordinary person could take a stand and try and change things, even just a little. But the people working in the shop, some of them, were already doing just that in their own way. Like Angie, who was working seven days a week, so she could pay the bills after her mum got sick, and never complained, not _once_. ‘Well, I have to do something, I can’t just sit at home and have the heating turn off, I don’t want my sister to freeze.’ Or Jose who’d travelled all the way to the UK on his own at sixteen. ‘My family, Rose, they are terrible, I get out now, or I get out never. No one helps me, but me.’

And they’d done that without anyone showing them the stars, they were brilliant enough, and brave enough to make the choice on their own; to take the leap, to risk pushing themselves, to risk leaving, all for the hope of coming out the other side in a better way than what they started with.

But if she thought about it, she did that as well. She took the leap to go with the Doctor, and even before then, it was her choice to go in to the base under the London Eye and try and save him. How crazy that was of her back then, back when she had no idea about aliens at all, when she’d seen the Tardis for the very first time, and still managed to hold it together.

The Doctor was right, ordinary people were amazing.

Hopefully, some time away from Torchwood could help the others see that too.

“But how could you just leave us Jack?” Gwen yelled, the pain and betrayal clear in her voice, snapping Rose fully out of her thoughts.

They were all sitting around an oval shaped table, in the dingy back room of some greasy Chinese restaurant, whom the owner 'owed Jack a favour.' Gwen had stood up to yell, getting up so forcibly, that the chair screeched along the floor. The atmosphere was tense, the team were upset that Jack was leaving, and scared about the future.

“I’ll be back.” Jack insisted angrily, already standing. “Just enjoy your time off, Jeez.”

“You know we can’t do that Jack! Just stop after everything we’ve seen on this job, just ignore everything we’ve done.” Gwen protested.

“I warned you not to lose touch, this is why.” Jack snapped, jabbing his finger at Gwen, his anger intensifying. “You’ve forgotten how to be normal.”

“Well that’s easy for you to say isn’t it Jack!” Owen yelled, hastily getting up from his chair. “You and Tyler are swanning off in some shabby excuse of a spaceship, with some stick-figure alien sandwiched in between the two of you, seeing other fucking planets in the sky. What the hell is normal about that!?”

Jack paused for a brief second, seeming to picture the mental image, a small pleased grin forming on his face.

“Oi!” Rose interrupted, snapping Jack out of it. “Don’t talk about someone who isn’t ‘ere to defend themselves, that’s not fair. And it’s not even like that.”

“Right.” scoffed Owen. “Yeah, my bad, Jack’s only tagging along cos you spread your legs and asked nicely.” he said the venom obvious in his voice. 

Rose's temper boiled. “Oi, don -” she began, but she didn't get a chance to finish her retort as Mickey roared over her.

“Hey! Don’t talk to her like that.” Mickey got right up into Owen’s face, at the same time Jack thumped the table and viciously yelled. “Owen, that's enough!”

Owen studied Mickey for a moment, and backed off. While Owen was used to Jack and Rose snapping at him, Mickey had never, making it very clear that he'd crossed a line. Owen didn't apologise, but sat wordlessly back down in his chair, the room falling into a heavy silence.

Jack took a calming breath. “Look this isn’t about the Doctor.”

“But it is.” said Ianto very quietly as he sat rigidly upright on his chair. “You’re with him now. Even if you come back, you won’t lead Torchwood anymore.”

“I don’t know.” Jack sighed.

Gwen and Owen scoffed, not pleased with his answer.

“I don’t.” Jack insisted. “Time travel’s a funny thing, I’ve been waiting for this for a long.” He stopped. “ _Long_ , time, if there’s a way I can do both, then I will, but until I know for sure, then no, I won’t.”

The team looked completely heartbroken, dejected, all the fight sucked out of them.

“Hey, look at things from my perspective.” Jack pleaded. “How would you like it if you were trapped in the stone ages, forced to adapt to that kind of technology; no electricity, no running water, eating nothing but meat. And it’s not just the tech, but any sort of social progress made during your time isn’t even a concept where you’re stuck. Not only are you living in a cave, but you’re forced to dance to the moon God every night. It’s so obvious to you that it’s bull, but try and irrigate the crops and everyone comes after you. That’s what it’s like. If you, any of you, were in my position, can any of you really say, you wouldn’t want to go home if you had the chance?”

None of the team would meet his eye.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” he said sternly. “And like I said, I’m not leaving for good, so just enjoy your time off, there’ll still be a Torchwood once the hub is rebuilt, and I’ll still be around even if I’m not in charge anymore.”

The team slumped further, finally seeming to accept that Jack was leaving.

“And what about you Rose, why are you going?” Tosh asked shyly, having been quiet for most of the meeting.

Rose was a bit thrown by the question, but composed herself quickly. “It’s not about the travelling.” she decided on.

Tosh nodded.

Jack looked around the room, satisfied, he relaxed his posture. “Right, now that we’re on the same page, there’s still a few things that need to be done before we’re officially on leave.”

* * *

When Jack said there were a few things they needed to do, what he really meant was a hell of a lot. Rose didn’t get back until ten. Mickey and Jack had both gone off after the meeting, each of them needing some time alone to think. But she just wanted to get back to the Doctor. She’d been gone for hours. She texted her mum to tell her she was on her way back as soon as she could.

_‘Ok luv, I ll put the dinner on._ _His majesty is up in your room sulking, think he missed you today xxx’_

When she came through the door, the Doctor didn’t come down like she thought he would. “I’m back!” she called, but he still didn’t appear.

“How was it then?” her mum called from the kitchen, wooden spoon in her hand.

Rose puffed air out her cheeks as she sauntered through the hallway, into the kitchen, throwing her keys on the counter. “It was rough mum. Wot’s up with him?”

“Think e’s a bit knackered. Caught him yawning in ASDA, never seen ‘im yawn before.”

“No, nor me.” Rose admitted, deep in thought, before shaking herself out of it. “Wait, you took ‘im to Asda?”

“Corse I did! E’d just sit and mope all day otherwise.”

Rose instinctively went to protest but calmed herself before any words came out. The Doctor hated doing this sort of stuff but she supposed it was better than him being alone in the house by himself.

“Yeah, you’re right. ‘E probably just wants some time alone, I don’t think Mickey and Jack’ll be in til late, I’ll just get ready for bed first.”

“Alright, I’ll call you two when dinner’s ready.”

Rose stretched out her arms and Jackie came over to give her a hug. “Thanks for looking after him mum.”

“Don’t mention it, one of us now, ‘in ‘e?”

Rose gave her mum and extra squeeze. “Yeah.”

She went up for a shower and everything first, getting changed into some candy print baggy pyjama bottoms and a plain top. She wanted to give the Doctor some alone time, assuming the reason he didn’t come down was that he needed a break from the domestics, or perhaps he was power napping.

But, when she went back into the room the Doctor was sitting on the chair, awake, and staring up at the ceiling, his legs resting on the foot of the bed. He looked absolutely despondent.

“How you holding up?” she asked.

Just noticing she was here, the Doctor perked up from his slouch. “Well it’s not exactly a walk in the park, Rose, I tell you that.” he admitted. “Nice pyjamas by the way.”

She smiled. “Not so bad yourself.” she said, looking at his jeans and t-shirt he’d changed into. Her face became more serious. “Sorry, meeting went on a lot longer than I thought.”

“It’s fine.” he said flatly, turning back to his original position.

No hug, no warm smile, no getting close. Something was wrong.

“Do you want some more time by yourself? Cos if you want I can go downstairs for a bit.”

“No, no, I’m good.”

“Sure?”

“Yep.”

At dinner he barely said a word, and he didn’t ask about how she was, as he usually did. Was he tired maybe, like her mum said? Or, maybe he’d always had moments like this but she just never got to see it before now. She wanted him to be comfortable to be himself in front of her. If this was him without his ‘mask’ she didn’t want him to believe he had to constantly wear it around her by asking him if he was okay all the time.

She decided to just give him some space, but if it got any worse she’d push.

“Okay, well, I’m goin’ to go to bed, I’m knackered.” she said casually, after an hour or so of reading some of her mums gossip mags in bed, the Doctor spending his time sitting on the chair, just staring at the ceiling.

“Okay, I’ll work on the stuff from the Tardis.”

“You’re not going to sleep?”

“No. I’ve napped for a little bit now, no need for me to sleep for at least another three days.”

“You sure you don’t want to sleep?”

“Yep.” he said, popping the 'p.'

Rose nodded. “Alright,” she conceded. “And you’re okay, right? There’s nothing you want to talk about or anythin’?”

The Doctor gave one shake of his head. “No, sir.” he lacklustrely joked.

And with that she went to bed, very worried about his wellbeing.

Only to be woken up in the night by a thud.

“Ow.” groaned the Doctor from the floor.

She turned on the side light and climbed out of bed, moving towards the sound. The Doctor was splayed on the floor rubbing his head.

Well, mask or no mask, he was exhausted and needed to sleep, but wasn’t.

“You alright?”

“Fine.” he said mutely.

“You should… sleep y’ know? I don’t mind you sharing with me really.” she said, helping pull him to his feet.

“It’s not that, Rose. I just lost my balance.” he said, a, most definitely, blatant lie. 

“But you have to, before you collapse.” she protested, he was risking injuring himself now. “I know you sleep when you’re in the Tardis. I know you're tired” she argued. “Come on it’s not like I’m going to draw on your face or anything.” she tried to guide him to the bed.

The Doctor’s temper flared and he pulled away. “Yes I do, when I’m in _my_ Tardis, but I’m not _in_ the Tardis am I? I’m here, in _your_ house, being babysat by _your_ mother. So _of course_ I’m not going to sleep, when I’ve done nothing but go to Asda all day, am I? Now will you stop _fussing_ and let me get on with this.”

Rose blinked, her own temper instantly forcing its way to the surface. Not only had he snapped at her, but he’d done it in a way that made it sound like she was stupid. He was obviously bitter about not being at the meeting. But, the only reason Jack had made him stay behind was because it wasn’t fair to the rest of the team for him to be there. And it was a _meeting_ , he hated stuff like that! Her frustration increased as she remembered that she’d asked him, twice even, if he wanted her to stay before she left, and he’d said no. The bloody hypocritical git.

She turned away from him to calm herself before she spoke.

“Sorry.” the Doctor said frantically, clearly regretting opening his mouth in the first place. “Rose, I’m sorry, so sorry. I’ll sleep, okay, I’ll go to sleep, just please don’t…. I’m sorry.”

Rose didn’t reply; one, because she was still trying to calm down. What good would it do if they fought now? But, at the same time, why was he always so dense? If he was hurt about it, why didn’t he bloody say something when she asked… twice?! And even just before she went to bed she gave him another chance to talk about it! Well, of course he didn’t because he was the Doctor, and this Doctor ran from his emotions just as much as the monsters. He was such a bastard sometimes! Just bloody tell someone when they ask you how you feel. Didn’t he promise that he would only yesterday?! What did he think she was going to do, laugh at him, use it against him!? She wasn’t like that! He should know that by now!

She took another breath. Baby steps, baby steps. Calm down, just _calm down_.

And two; because she knew him, he’d been lying about needing to sleep. And while she got quiet, lost all her manners, and just sort of grunted at people when she was exhausted, he, seemingly, lost all of his manic energy and turned into some crotchety old man instead, his true form, a total prat, a complete and utter bastard. 

“Rose?” the Doctor said fearfully, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry, I really am, I didn’t mean it… I just….”

She didn’t look at him, didn’t breathe a word, just kept facing away from him, looking at the wall with a stony expression _._ _Calm down, calm down._

He swallowed again. “Please say something.”

An old git, who she just so happened to love more than anything.

Rose sighed. She could see out the window from where she’d turned away from him. It was a rare clear night in Cardiff and the moon was out. He needed to sleep but wouldn’t with the situation what it was. She wanted some air, but she couldn’t bear the thought of how upset he would get if she left him here.

“You want to go for a walk?” she said, looking back at him and making sure to remove the anger from her voice.

“Sorry?”

“I need some fresh air, do you want to come?”

The Doctor was confused. “Do you want me to?” he asked fearfully.

“Yes.”

The Doctor scanned her up and down. Rose could tell he was confused by her sudden change in mood and didn’t quite believe her, and if she said ‘up to you’ then he might’ve stayed, but…

“Well, if you insist.” he smiled, but his voice was heavy.

“Great, let’s go.”

“Now?”

“Yep.” Rose grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs. She grabbed one of her jackets from the hook by the door and slipped on some trainers, she was still in her pyjamas but didn’t care. She disappeared into the kitchen to get her backpack while the Doctor grabbed his coat and converse and waited for her by the front door.

The Doctor was absolutely silent the whole time. He didn’t attempt to take her hand when they started walking down the street, and he was sure to keep a fair distance between them. Rose let him be for now, hoping that her plan ‘cheer up the Doctor’ would work.

Where she wanted to go wasn’t too far; good twenty minute walk at least. It was really early in the morning, it was still dark and there were barely any people around. It was cool but not freezing, and when the wind blew it had a nice warmness to it.

She brought the Doctor to Pontcanna Fields, a really beautiful park in the centre of Cardiff with a river running through the middle. The gates were locked but the sonic wasn’t needed as she had a copy. The Doctor raised an eyebrow but remained quiet as she opened the gate. She grabbed his hand. “Come on.” she said, pulling him into the park and closing the gate behind her.

She took him down by the river, a few rabbits skittered away as they approached, the moonlight reflecting in the water. The river bank was a gentle slope; on one side was thick forest and shrubbery and on the other – the side they were on – was a grassy field, that Mickey would say was the perfect footie ground.

Rose’s voice was a whisper as she led the Doctor behind a large tree, peering behind it to look out at the riverbank. “Okay we’re here, but we’ve to be quiet.”

The Doctor nodded and Rose brought him to an open space on the edge of the riverbank, just where the slope began. She got down on to her tummy so she was facing the river, pulling the Doctor down so he’d copy her actions. The water was calm and shallow, there was some sort of smooth, manmade structure an inch or so under the water which allowed for an easy crossing. There were streetlights scattered in the distance but the main light source in this part of the park was the moon above.

Rose reached into her backpack and pulled out a packet of ‘Dreamies’ cat treats she’d gotten from the kitchen earlier, the cheese kind, it had to be the cheese kind. She shook them lightly, whistling as she did.

A few minutes past and nothing happened. The Doctor was stretching his neck to try and get a glimpse of whatever it was they were waiting for.

Rose whistled again and this time there was some rustling in the shrubs on the other side of the river. The Doctor looked out. It was clear something was moving in the shadows, the bushes were pushed back and he could hear the sound of twigs snapping. But he couldn’t see a single hint of an animal.

Rose rattled the packet a little more.

Whatever it was seemed to be moving closer to the river, but still, the Doctor couldn’t see a single thing.

Yet, as soon as the creature’s fur hit the moonlight it became visible. It’s fur a florescent greyish purple that seemed to glisten like the moon. It was about the size of a large dog with a rabbit’s tail and long ears, but moved smoothly like a cat. It’s face a strange concoction of all three animals.

As soon as he saw it the Doctor’s face lit up.

It cautiously sniffed around the river bank, it’s eyes constantly changing colour to match whatever ground it was touching, blinking vertically as it looked up towards the moon. Eventually it began to move towards the smooth manmade platform under the water. As it entered the shallows, the ripples of the gentle current were reflected on it’s belly, like streams of dancing light.

The creature cautiously came to their side of the river. Rose threw some of the cat treats in its general direction. It scarpered back into the water but didn’t fully cross the river. And after generously sniffing the air, it came back to inspect the offering, wolfing down whatever it found.

Rose threw some more, the creature flinched, but didn’t run away this time as it searched out the treats, gobbling them down one after the other.

After a few moments Rose slowly moved into a crouching position. The Doctor followed but she motioned him to stay put as she moved carefully down towards the river. The creature instantly retreated into the water but stopped about half way, staring at her intently. She poured a good portion of treats close to the river’s edge before moving herself back up to her original position next to the Doctor.

They watched as the creature cautiously reproached and ate the offerings. “Cute, huh?” Rose asked in a whisper, squishing closer to him so their sides were touching.

The Doctor was still beaming at the sight, his eyes sparkling with pure wonderment. “Oh, impossibly cute.”

“It came through the rift a few months ago, we couldn’t find it at first and we spent three days on stakeout trying to figure out wot it was.” she explained, the creatures ears twitching to the direction of her voice, but still eating away. “It took us a while to realise you can only see it when the moon is on it, by that time it’d already settled ‘ere and me and Tosh tried to convince Jack to let it stay. It doesn’t eat the locals or anything so he said yes. Do you know what it is?”

“It’s a Monsoon Foguely, from the planet Cary-Ann, one of Earth’s colonies. I never thought I’d get the chance to see a living one before now.” The Doctor explained. His eyes fixed on the strange creature, looking at it like a child who’d stumbled upon Santa’s flying reindeer.

“Seriously?”

The Doctor turned to face Rose. “Yes, isn’t that brilliant?” he beamed, before turning back to watch it, not wanting to miss a second.

He leaned closer to Rose so he could explain as quietly as he could, but he dare not take his eyes off the odd, fluffy alien. “Monsoon is actually the name of one of the planet’s orbiting moons, it’s similar to Earth’s moon in terms of the percentage of infrared radiation it reflects and the level of gamma radiation it emits, which is why we can see it here on Earth. But on Cary – Ann the moon of Monsoon only appears alone in the night sky every 48 cycles, which means there’s only a brief period of time you can see it on it’s home planet, and that’s if it’s a clear night. And then if you add in the poaching, urbanisation of their natural habitat, light pollution into the mix, seeing one in the wild is extremely rare.”

“But you though? You’ve never seen one?”

“Well, I’ve seen a few stuffed ones in museums and the odd pelt for sale in my time, but I never thought I’d see a wild one so close.” the Doctor whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

Rose’s heart melted, he was so happy. His manic, excited energy that seemed to have grinned to a halt had returned tenfold. It was nice, her being the one to show him something for a change, and the look on his face made her understand why he liked doing it so much.

“Did you give it a name?” he asked.

“Paddington.” Rose said.

The Doctor scrunched up his face. “Paddington? Like the station or the bear?”

“The bear, it likes marmalade sandwiches.”

The Doctor gaped at her. “You’re joshing me!”

Rose supressed a giggle. “Shushh, you’ll scare it off.”

The Doctor quickly darted his head back to the creature, scared it’d done a runner. It was looking straight at them. It stared at them for a few seconds, one of it’s long ears flicking, before sniffing around the ground in search of a missed cat treat.

“Sometimes it eats out of my hand, I’ve even stroked it once.” Rose whispered, searching in her bag for the famed marmalade sandwiches.

The Doctor’s face dropped in utter disbelief.

Rose couldn’t help but beam back at him.

She unwrapped the sandwiches from the cling film, the creature began to curiously approach, sniffing the air as it took a few feeble steps closer. She gave two of the square cuts to the Doctor and kept two for herself. “Watch and learn newbie.” she grinned, moving slowly back down the bank, keeping her body low.

She whistled and the creature strolled up, hesitant still but more relaxed than when it first crossed the river. Rose stretched out her arm holding the sandwich and wiggled it in the creature’s direction. The creature edged slowly closer, stretching it’s neck as far as it could. As soon as it was in reach it snatched the sandwich and scarfed it down, comfortable enough with Rose to not take the food and move away to somewhere out of her reach.

As soon as it was finished it sniffed the air for more. It had the scent of the other sandwich and moved closer and closer to Rose, she put the sandwich behind her back and the creature sniffed around her to try and get it, snorting in frustration when it couldn’t locate it and nuzzling into her once it found it, trying to convince her to share.

Rose glanced back to the Doctor, who was looking at her in pure amazement. She smiled back gleefully and brought her hand holding the sandwich to the creatures face, it was startled slightly by the movement, but held its ground and quickly snatched it and started to snarf it down. While it was eating, Rose motioned to the Doctor to move down the bank. He was slow but not enough, as the creature jerked back towards the river on high alert, leaving the half eaten square behind.

Rose whistled again and the creature slowly began to reproach, while the Doctor moved closer to Rose. It gingerly snatched the remains of the sandwich and ran, chowing it down on it close to the water.

Rose took a square out of the Doctor’s hand and threw it in the creature’s direction, like before, the creature jerked but once it sniffed the ground it trotted straight to the sandwich, devouring it in an instant. As it frantically sniffed the ground out for more Rose grabbed the Doctor’s arm, their bodies close together as she held his arm out towards the fluffy beast. She whistled and once more the creature came closer, seeming desperate for the remaining square, but not trusting the Doctor as it got spooked and ran back to the river bank. It repeatedly circled back to where they were, getting closer and closer each time, snorting in indecisive frustration.

Rose kept the Doctor’s arm held out and neither of them moved a muscle, until, after several attempts, the creature snatched the sandwich out of the Doctor’s hand and pelted back over the river, disappearing into the shrubbery from once it came.

Rose sighed as she sat back on her legs, a bit disappointed that it didn’t stick around.

“It ate out of my hand.” the Doctor said, completely ecstatic. “I don’t believe it an actual wild Monsoon Foguely ate out of my hand, can you believe it Rose? They’re supposed to be the most elusive creatures in seven galaxies and here one is just trotting along, right bang in the middle of Cardiff.”

Rose beamed, oh well, he didn’t stroke it but he’d clearly had a good time.

She put an arm around him and gave him a squeeze. “Feeling better now?”

The Doctor’s face morphed from childlike glee to something unreadable, just as he realised that she’d done all this for him, despite everything.

“Yeah actually.” he said, as though he had just come to the conclusion in that moment. He looked at her, his voice soft and timid. “I really am sorry Rose. It’s just… it’s a lot, for me.”

“I know.” she said sincerely, rubbing her hand up and down his arm.

“I broke another promise.” He said, taking his outburst to heart and starting to close himself off.

Her one armed squeeze morphed into a two armed hug. “It’s okay, I get it, yeah?”

“Yeah.” he said glumly, not sounding soothed in the slightest.

Rose opened her mouth to suggest they head back before everyone wakes up but the Doctor spoke again.

“I missed you today.” he said warily.

“I know. I missed you, like a lot.”

The Doctor’s mood improved, just a little. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Then -.” he stopped himself. “Doesn’t matter.”

But Rose knew what he was going to ask, or had a pretty good idea anyway. “This was our last meeting before the team splits up, so I wanted to be there, especially since I missed the last one having lunch with you. Me, Mickey and Jack are okay, cos me and Jack are goin’ with you, and Mickey knows how to juggle aliens with the day to day stuff, but the others don’t. They’ve ‘lost touch’ as Jack likes to call it, so they don’t know how to live without dealing with danger and aliens and stuff, so they had a lot to say.”

“Oh.” He dipped his head looking a little embarrassed. “I should’ve just asked earlier, shouldn’t’ve I?”

“No!” Rose gasped. “Really? You don’t say.” she said sarcastically, before giggling at her own joke a bit. She nudged him. “Ah well, better late than never.”

A small half smile appeared on his face. “Yeah.” he agreed meekly. He fell silent for a few seconds. “I was lying before.” he admitted. “I need to sleep, quite a bit actually, but I can’t.”

Rose gave him a sympathetic look. “Is it because you ‘ave bad dreams?”

The Doctor averted his gaze, getting twitchy on the spot. “Not just that.” he muttered, barely audible.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked softly, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“No.” he said quickly. “Well, maybe… but, I’ve never… I don’t know.”

“Does the Tardis help? Is that why-”

“No.”

Rose studied him a bit, her heart going out to him. “Well I might not be able to help, but at least you won’t be alone.”

“Yeah.” the Doctor said dejectedly, giving in as he got up off the ground. “Come on then.” he sighed, helping Rose up. “Let’s get this over with.”

But by the time they got back to the house, the sun had started to rise, and Tosh was knocking on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, changed the title of this one.
> 
> Next Chapter: The Old Dance Hall
> 
> When: Next week, maybe Monday or Tuesday
> 
> Other notes: Yeah next week the actual plot starts to kick in a bit.


	6. Bilis Manger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor goes on his first Torchwood mission with Rose. It sounds simple on the surface, but the Doctor should know by now, these things never are.

"Tosh?" Rose called.

She and the Doctor were standing behind Tosh, just at the beginning of the short brick path leading up to Rose's house.

When Tosh heard her name from behind, she swivelled around to face them both. "Rose?" she said, a little stunned as she looked her friend up and down.

Tosh was quick to realise that Rose was wearing her pyjamas, causing a small smile to appear on her face. "Checking on our invisible friend?" she asked.

"Of course!" Rose beamed. "Paddington says hi by the way, great sandwiches, as always."

Tosh smiled back just as Jack opened the door, the three of them quickly shifting their focus to the ex Time Agent.

Jack was a state. He was fully dressed - in a similar get up to the Doctor - but it was obvious he'd slept in what he was wearing, and after a very heavy night out at that. His hair was a mess, all sticking up in different places. His appearance unusually scruffy, and his 'high alertness' replaced with drowsiness, in all likelihood, due to him still being sloshed.

The meeting with the team had clearly left him a little torn up about leaving.

Jack scanned Tosh up and down, looking at her like she'd just plonked another thick pile of paperwork by his desk, due in the next hour. "Yeah?" he asked flatly.

"Jack, sorry." Tosh began. "I tried to call but no one would pick up."

Jack blinked at her slowly.

Tosh quickly continued, a little flustered by her boss's current mood. "There's been reports about an old dance hall, we don't have any rift monitoring equipment, so I can't say for sure, and I know there's not meant to be any activity," She glanced back at the Doctor. "But it's similar to the sorts of calls we usually get, I was thinking it might be a piece of technology we've missed."

Jack scanned her up and down again, the cogs turning in his head as he decided whether this was worth his time or not. His eyes moved to the Doctor and Rose, just now noticing they were there. After a few more moments of contemplating, he opened the door wider, jerking his head to the side for them to come in.

Once they were all in the house Jack swung the door shut behind them. "I need coffee." Jack announced, moving straight past the three, towards the kitchen. "Like now, Rose? Tosh? Doctor?"

"Yeah, please." Rose said, taking off her coat to hang up.

"I'm fine, already had some on the way over." Tosh explained.

Rose looked towards the Doctor.

"No, thanks." he stated. "I'll have a tea though."

Jack raised a hand in acknowledgement of their requests as he dragged his feet towards the kitchen, the clatter of cups and the hiss of the kettle travelling down the hallway.

Tosh stood nervously by the front door, clutching her laptop bag strap on her shoulder as she waited to be invited in.

"Come through," Rose said to Tosh, waving a hand towards the living room.

Tosh gave a polite smile as she moved into the room, searching out somewhere to sit, even though there were plenty of places available.

"Yeah, just sit anywhere." Rose said, walking past her and plonking herself down on one of the sofas, patting the empty space next to her for the Doctor to sit down, who was sure to sit very close.

"So…" the Doctor began, looking towards Tosh. "Tosh, is it?"

"Yeah." she replied, as she delicately sat down on the other sofa across from them.

"What sort of reports?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing major at the moment," she began to explain, rooting around in her bag and pulling out a pile of papers. "but the calls have been consistent." She passed the papers to Rose, who started to flick through them, the Doctor reading over her shoulder. "Reports of people hearing music, people seeing apparitions of soldiers from WWII appearing around the building."

"Like a proper haunted house." Rose commented, still reading the reports.

Tosh nodded. "The earliest report was three days ago, that suggests that there might be some type of technology at the location, causing the sightings. Maybe something that came through the rift just before the explosion."

"Makes sense." said the Doctor.

"What about the building?" Jack asked, appearing in the doorway of the living room with two mugs in one hand, and another mug in the other. He passed the two mugs towards the Doctor and Rose. "Blue's the coffee, red's the tea."

"Thanks." the Doctor and Rose said at the same time, reaching for their respective mugs.

"I took the liberty of researching the place once I got the coordinates. The Riltz Dance Hall, it's been derelict since 1989, but other than that nothing stood out." Tosh explained, watching Jack as he plonked himself down next to her on the sofa.

Jack took a satisfying sip of his coffee, already seeming in a better mood. "Well it's weird enough for us." he said, thinking for a few moments. "We'll get Mickey Mouse up, get ready and check it out, see what we find and take it from there."

Rose and Tosh nodded.

Jack looked towards the Doctor. "What do ya say Doctor? Up for a day working at Torchwood?"

* * *

Surprisingly, Rose only took twenty minutes to get ready, as apposed to the usual hour or longer that she normally took on the Tardis.

"That was quick." the Doctor said, genuinely surprised.

"This is a mission, not an adventure." she grinned.

"Oh, I see how it is. So, when we're back on the Tardis, you're going to make me wait again, is that it?"

Her grin grew into a cheeky smile. " _Duh._ "

He giggled, before trying to supress a yawn, he tried, but couldn't, and Rose's face fell.

"Wot about you, though? You still haven't gone to sleep, you goin' to be okay?"

"I'm not sure, really I'm not." he admitted. He gave her a small, sad, half-smile. "But, I'm sure I can handle it for another day."

Rose studied him for a brief moment. "Okay." Her smile and teasing voice returned. "Just you be careful, newbie." She prodded his chest. "Things can get a little crazy when you're dealing with alien tech."

He beamed. "Yes Ma'am, careful, that's me."

She wiggled her fingers at him, wanting him to hold her hand. "Ready?"

He took her hand, a big goofy grin still on his face. "Oh yes!"

The drive over was pretty uneventful, but it was nice, the Doctor thought, to listen to Rose talk with Tosh and Mickey, telling him a few stories from Torchwood, laughing and joking. Jack was a little vacant at the start but by the time they got there he was laughing along too.

His eyes were starting to feel heavy though. This was not good, he had to tread carefully, he was getting worse and he didn't want to snap at anyone, like he did with Rose, especially not Rose.

The Riltz Dance Hall, it must've been a beautiful building back in it's day; Victorian, redbrick, like Rose's house, but more adorned, and, of course, much, much bigger. The narrow streets encompassing it were sloped, so the hall seemed to disappear into the ground at one end. Given some TLC the building could've been some nice apartments or some other popular repurposing project for this time, but alas, it was boarded up with metal panels and covered in graffiti, in dire need of a good lick of paint in some places.

Jack stood at the entrance to the Dance Hall, looking out to the rest of the group, elevated above them by the platform where the doors were. "Okay, so the reports sound pretty tame, but you never know, so keep your wits about you."

The team nodded, and with that Jack whirled around to face the green, double, wooden doors. He checked to see if they were unlocked, but they weren't, the doors just rattling instead. He turned to the Doctor. "Doctor?"

The Doctor was looking around the outside of the building, something seemed different, but what was it? Ah his head was so foggy, and was someone calling him? He snapped out of it. "Oh, right, yes." He took the sonic out of his brown coat pocket. He aimed the sonic at the door, it whirled and after a few long seconds the latch clicked open.

Jack smiled as he pushed the double doors open and stepped inside, Rose taking the Doctor's hand as they all walked into the lobby of the Dance Hall and looked around.

The inside didn't really look much better than the outside. It was dusty and full of cobwebs, belonging to spiders long since dead. The lobby they were in had a black and white, checkered tile floor, with a wide wooden staircase to the right, winding up the wall to the top floor. An old, vandalised, and raided bar to the left, joined to the wall, which was covered in graffiti. Directly opposite the entrance there was a double-sized arch way, far too dark to see where it led.

The team glanced around. "Right, me and Tosh will take whatever's down there." Jack explained, nodding to the archway directly ahead. "Doctor and Rose you can take the top floor."

They nodded.

"Mickey you take the basement level, you're on your own as to how you get there though, but this place is supposed to have one."

"Yeah, got it."

"Right, let's move out." Jack commanded, the team splitting up and moving to their agreed locations.

The Doctor and Rose climbed the stairs hand in hand. The air seemed thick with something, but what the Doctor couldn't put his finger on.

The top floor opened up into the main dance hall, after passing a small lobby at the top of the stairs. The hall itself was dimly lit, a few windows yet to be boarded up by the metal panels, allowing them to see into the hall. The inside of the main hall was cluttered, full of dated - well for this time - pieces of furniture, covered with dusty sheets; the red walls with white panelling covered in graffiti.

But there was a touch of elegance to it. The ceiling of the main hall was a green, curved dome sort of shape, with ribbon engravings along the edge. A prize chandelier covered in plastic tarp, hanging right in the centre. There was a wide open space for dancing at the front of the room, but at the back there were two parallel staircases, leading downwards to a lower level, but still a part of the same room, hosting a large stage right at the very far side of the hall.

"Not exactly Scooby Doo material is it?" Rose commented playfully, looking up at the ceiling.

But the Doctor wasn't so sure about that, there was something definitely different about this place. His Time Lord senses were tingling, his guts were telling him it was something obvious. But what? His mind seemed to be moving a centimetre an hour.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Hmm?"

Rose looked at him, awaiting an answer.

"Oh, yes, very creepy." he agreed.

Her brows furrowed in concern. "You sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Not sure." he said, eying the corners of the hall. "There's something odd about this place, don't you think?"

Rose looked around and shrugged. "No, other than it needs a good dust. Why? Can you sense something?"

The Doctor continued to scan the room. "Think so." he said, sounding unsure of himself.

Rose followed his line of sight, but could see nothing, she sniffed the air and tried to listen to what was going on around her, but couldn't hear, nor smell, anything out of the ordinary. "Maybe Tosh was right and there's tech around here, maybe it's that?"

"Yeah." he said distractedly. He just couldn't put his finger on it. It was weak whatever it was. "Let's keep an eye out. Anything out of place." he said, still looking around the room, tugging Rose towards the other set of stairs, leading to the stage.

Whatever it was, there had to be some sort of source or epicentre.

* * *

But little did the Doctor and Rose know they were being watched, studied by a slim old man wearing a cravat and a 1920's looking suit, his posture stiff, almost robotic as his eyes followed them from the top of the parallel staircases in the main dance hall. He made no attempt to hide himself, but neither the Doctor nor Rose spotted him as they began to lift some of the sheets off of the pieces of furniture piled up in an open area in front of the stage, searching for anything out of place.

Bilis Manger.

This was wrong, Bilis thought, incorrect, uncalculated.

This was not meant to be.

Toshiko Sato and Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood were meant to enter the hall together, no tag-a-longs.

Yet, somehow, the timelines had changed, some little inconsistency that he'd overlooked, a rare possible future which, by some incredible stroke of luck, had come to fruition.

Torchwood weren't meant to have guests.

And three of them at that.

These three extras were loose cannons, an unpredictable mass of choices that Bilis could not sense at all. How that was, he had no idea. He couldn't gain access to their minds; their pasts, nor could he see their possible choices; their futures.

There mere presence was unravelling the sole future he had so rigorously planned for over the centuries, rapidly decreasing it's possibility with every passing second.

He'd have to _deal_ with them, and _fast_.

The question was how.

He didn't know a thing about them. Were they even human? How did they come to know Torchwood? Were they linked to Jack Harkness in some way; the only person's past who he couldn't see? So many unknowns, which needed to be known, questions that needed to be answered, before he could even think of approaching the tag-a-longs.

He couldn't risk separating them if it would effect how Torchwood acted. If they were alien, then they might have some sort of ability or technology that could inhibit him, so he couldn't waltz up to them and simply kill them. If they knew the other members of Torchwood, then they could effect the teams choices, preventing the rift from ever being opened in the first place .

So many questions, but none he could find the answer to.

Bilis continued to look out to the dance hall. The two had gone behind the stage, they were looking for something.

From the man's posture, it was clear he knew something was amiss. He was time sensitive maybe? How bothersome if that was the case.

A little test was in order.

Just to see how much this stranger really could sense.

* * *

"Whow." exclaimed the Doctor, suddenly stopping mid step and stumbling back slightly, like he'd walked into an invisible barrier, his grip tightening on Rose's hand.

Now _that_ he could identify, a shift in time. A temporal shift, a pretty basic one, between this time and…. The Doctor sniffed the air. The 1930's? 1940's? Something along those decades anyway. Ah yes, late 1930's early 1940's, he could hear the music bleeding through to this time.

"Wot is it?" Rose asked, looking around the room in a panic.

The Doctor brought a finger to his lips. "Sshhh, listen. Do you hear that?" he asked quietly, his voice more curious than scared. He spun around, looking back towards the stairs that led to the upper level of the dance hall, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to locate the epicentre of the shift.

Temporal Shifts weren't dangerous, and this one seemed big enough that if he could just find the point of origin, they might be able to witness one of the reported 'apparitions.'

Rose's features screwed up in concentration as she tried desperately to listen. After a few moments she shook her head. "I don't hear anything." she said quietly.

"This way." he said in a whisper, yanking Rose back up the stairs to the open part of the hall.

Rose followed, desperately searching the location.

The music was getting louder. Any second now and Rose should be able to hear it.

Rose's face changed just as they reached the top of the stairs, looking towards the small lobby they had originally entered through. "I can hear it!" she whispered. "Where's it comin' from?" she frantically looked around in search of a source.

"The 1930's, the literal 1930's, we're witnessing –" he stopped. The shift was getting bigger, he could sense it. "hold on." he said, pointing frantically at one side of the doors separating the hall from the small lobby. He clicked his fingers towards where the shift was forming. "There! Look there!"

Rose eyes widened as she caught sight of a couple, the woman dressed in a flowy silk ball gown and the man in a WWII army uniform. They had a look of pure delight on their faces as they danced, twirling around from one side of the doorway to the other, completely unaffected by the debris by their feet from the state of the building in this time.

"What was that?" Rose asked, a look of wonderment on her face.

The Doctor smiled warmly, he loved that look on her. "A simple temporal shift. This hall must contain a weakness between two points in time, and as such we're getting glimpses of another time, playing out right in front of us. Isn't that brilliant?"

Rose smiled, searching towards the doorway, hoping to catch something else pass by. "I didn't know stuff like that could 'appen without a Tardis or sommin'."

"Normally no it can't, but the rift provides certain conditions, allowing it to occur naturally."

"That is brilliant." she smiled.

* * *

From behind them, standing unnoticed by the set of parallel staircases, Bilis continued to study his unwanted guests.

The man in the long brown coat was smart, quite smart indeed. But he was too smart that was the thing. The proof was in the pudding. He could sense the shifts he was creating, being able to predict there location with fearsome accuracy.

The man was most definitely an alien.

Perhaps this man was the one preventing him from being able to see the others' past and possible futures, stopping him from peering into their minds like he used to so easily be able to do. Or maybe he had some sort of technology which defended against that sort of thing.

He would have to tread carefully. He needed the man gone and it was clear he was far too smart to get caught in a temporal shift. He needed another way to stop him, to get rid of all of the tag-a-longs without changing the future he'd been planning for.

Bilis looked towards the blonde girl, the way the man looked at her, how their fingers interlinked so naturally, how he brighten when she laughed.

Why, but of course, it was glaringly apparent.

There was one, one way to stop him. Like Owen Harper with Diane Holmes, Gwen Cooper with Rhys Williams, and Ianto Jones with Lisa Hallett, the man clearly had someone he wished to protect.

He was in love with her.

And that meant the man could be manipulated, just like what he'd planned to do with Torchwood; trick them into doing his bidding. It was a tad brutish and uncivilised but warranted given the risk all three of them were posing to his plan.

But to err on the side of caution, perhaps, for now, it was best to shift Toshiko Sato and Captain Jack Harkness to the time they were supposed to be in. Then deal with his unwanted guests before Gwen Cooper was due to arrive.

* * *

A shiver coursed fast through the Doctor's spine, causing him to flinch. Rose caught it, tightening her grip on his hand.

This shift coming was much, much, much bigger than the first, big enough that it could probably transport a small car to the other time. It was so big he could get a pretty accurate read on the exact date; 1941, February, no, late January.

"Another one?" Rose asked, studying him with a worried expression. "Is it hurting you?"

The Doctor was taken by surprise, turning his head quickly to face her. "No.." he began, a tad confused. "Just sort of feels…" he stopped thinking of the word that would help a human understand. " _Tingly_."

Rose smirked. " _Tingly_?"

"Yeah, tingly." he said distractedly, looking back to the doorway leading to the small lobby. No, the shift wasn't quite there, it was more below, back towards the entrance to the building.

His expression changed, pure dread readable on his features as his neurons finally kicked into gear.

If the Temporal Shift could transport a small car to the other time... humans were also in that size range.

He frantically pulled Rose through the small lobby, towards the wide staircase leading to the main entrance. "Come on!" he said urgently.

Rose didn't argue and ran beside him, the Doctor shouting as he moved. "Everyone! Stay away from the lobby!"

He slammed to a halt midway down the main staircase, using his free hand against the wall to fully stop himself. He pushed Rose behind him, any closer and they risk getting pulled in too, his eyes darting about as he scanned the main entrance. He, and only he, could see the shift begin to materialise, only to realise Jack and Tosh were already right dab in the epicentre of the shift.

They'd be sent to the other time! And he didn't have the Tardis or an exact date!

"NO! JACK! Get back!" the Doctor screamed, just as the room started to brighten. But not like sunlight was flooding the room, more like the exposure settings were hastily being cracked up to maximum.

Their shocked faces the last thing he saw as the lower floor faded to white.

"JACK! TOSH!" Rose cried, as they disappeared from sight, letting go of the Doctor's hand and weaving around him as she perilously tried to help her friends.

The Doctor instantly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back towards the very corner of the wall. "It's too late!" he cried, the room getting brighter and brighter. He could not be separated from her again, not now.

"DOC-" Rose began to protest, struggling in his grip.

"ROSE, _please_." he begged, still holding onto her. "They'll be okay, _I promise._ " The room was pure white, the Doctor couldn't see Rose at all, only feel her. He held on, tighter.

He felt Rose stop pulling just as the colour started to return to the room, the area where Jack and Tosh were being the last area to return to normal.

But, of course, Jack and Tosh were no longer there, Rose looking around the room in vain.

Sure that the shift was over, the Doctor slowly and carefully released Rose, unsure whether he'd just crossed a line or not. He studied Rose's body language carefully, but from his position he couldn't see her face.

"Did they get sent to the other time?" she asked, rapidly descending the remaining steps to the entrance, searching for any sign of her friends.

"Yes." he said still tiptoeing around her, trying to gauge her emotions. "But that shift was too big to be caused naturally." He got out the screwdriver and started scanning the exact point where Tosh and Jack disappeared. "It seems whatever technology is here is extenuating the power of the rift, making the natural shifts bigger. Tosh and Jack got pulled through but they were at the epicentre, to them it'd be just like they time travelled in the blink of an eye."

Suddenly Rose snapped her attention to the double archway, opposite them. "Doctor, Mickey." she explained, running towards through the arch and down the corridor. "MICKEY!" she yelled.

The Doctor rushed to catch up with her, but luckily Mickey was close by, appearing from a narrow stone room, leading downwards to the basement.

"Rose! Doctor!" Mickey called.

"Mickey." Rose sighed in relief. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Mickey nodded quickly, leaning his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "I heard the Doctor say to stay away from the lobby, Wot's goin' on?" he asked in a panic.

"This place is prone to Temporal Shifts, caused naturally by the rift. That's what's causing the reports, usually they're harmless but something's cranking up the power, making the Shifts bigger. Jack and Tosh have got caught in one; a blurred line between two precise points in time, and now, they're trapped in the other time period." the Doctor explained.

"Wot! How?" he asked, looking to the Doctor.

"Dunno for sure, a piece of alien technology most likely, like Tosh said, but the thing about Temporal Shifts is the points in time are so blurred together, I can't say for sure whether it's something in this time that's causing the Shift's increase in size, or if there's something in the other time period causing it."

While Mickey was considering his explanation, the Doctor heard Rose suck in a small but sharp intake of breath, barely audible but there was an edge to it. "Rose?" he asked, quickly turning to face her.

She looked up at him. "We don't know the exact time." she explained shakily, really thrown by whatever she'd realised. " Ow can we use the Tardis to bring 'em back, if we don't know the exact date? They could be long gone by the time we get there."

Mickey's face fell, and he fearfully looked to the Doctor for answers. "That's true. Ow we goin' to get them back?"

"It's fine." the Doctor was quick to explain, looking rapidly between the two of them. "Really, it's okay, the last shift was big enough I could tell what month it was; sometime in January 1941-." He looked to Rose, gesturing his hands about as he spoke. "Then, that couple we saw in the dance hall, that must've been an event of some kind, that should help us narrow it down." Rose still looked worried. He grabbed just below her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Rose, I promise, they won't be waiting long, we might have to make a few trips on our end, but for them it'll be a couple hours at the most."

Rose nodded. "Yeah, yeah, okay." she breathed. "I just don't want Jack-"

"I know." the Doctor said seriously.

"Okay but wot about this shift thing?" Mickey asked, the Doctor releasing his hold on Rose, so he could focus on Mickey. "What if it 'appens again? Then wot do we do?"

"I can tell when there about to happen, about thirty seconds or so beforehand, so I can tell you where not to go, and unless you're caught in the eye of the storm, like Tosh and Jack were, then you should be able to see your surroundings fade to white, in which case just stay where you are, you're on the edge of the shift and if you don't move you won't be affected." the Doctor explained 

"And wot we looking for, then? I mean if it aint natural?" Mickey asked.

"Could be any number of devices, so I can't give you an exact description, but it'll look out of place whatever it is. But the important thing is that we need to find it and fast. There were no mention of disappearances in Tosh's report, yet, Jack and Tosh have been taken by it. It's getting stronger. We need to shut it down before it starts causing some real problems."

"Well then, if that's true we should split up, finish searching the place before it starts up again, could be bigger next time, take all of us." Mickey suggested.

The Doctor went rigid. "No, if we're going to stay we stick together." he said harshly.

Mickey splayed his arms out in agitation. "But it'll be quicker, an' what if it spreads into the street, then we'll 'av civilians disappearing." he protested.

The Doctor didn't answer straight away, nor did Rose say anything.

Mickey glanced between them, he saw Rose's nervousness as she scanned the Doctor's face, he saw how tense the Doctor was and put two and two together. Mickey relaxed, his agitation gone, in all his years he'd never thought he'd play guru to his ex and an alien but he seemed to live one of those kind of lives now. "Doctor, me and Rose can handle ourselves, we do this sort of stuff all the time with Torchwood. Can't wrap us in cotton wool remember?"

The Doctor's eyes widened for a brief second, stunned that Mickey seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, before composing himself. "You're right." he told Mickey begrudgingly.

Mickey was flabbergasted. Did the Doctor just admit that he was wrong? Mickey cocked his head to the side. "Sorry, wot was that?"

"I said, you're right." The Doctor said bitterly.

Mickey's mouth was a gape.

The Doctor's patience grew thinner. "Oh, don't be so surprised with yourself it does happen on the extremely rare occasion."

Mickey proudly smirked. "You feeling alright, Boss?" he joked, making the most of the moment. "Your ego got a puncture of sommin? That slap from Jackie knock a screw loose? Maybe you should go to the hospital after this."

"Ha – ha, very funny." he said dryly.

"Okay so splitting up to save time, yeah?" Rose reminded them, interrupting their conversation and speaking loudly to refocus the both of them. She turned to the Doctor, her expression softening. "That okay?" she asked sincerely.

"Yeah, course, no probs, okie dokie." he said quickly.

"Right." Mickey said dragging out the word, not believing the Doctor at all. "So, Rose this floor, the Doctor first floor, and I was still checking out the basement, so I'll take that, yeah?"

"Yep." agreed the Doctor.

"Yeah." said Rose.

"Right… so let's go." said Mickey awkwardly, clapping his hands together and smiling forcedly, not used to being the one taking the lead.

Rose smiled at the Doctor, nudging him lightly with the side of her arm. "We'll be okay." she reassured. "We're tough."

The Doctor smiled at her but it didn't reach his eyes. He nodded at her. "Yeah." he said softly. "But, you be careful."

Rose smiled. "You too."

"Alright you two, come on." Mickey said impatiently. "Let's go, let's go!"

"Alright!" Rose snapped, giving the Doctor a quick hug before starting to walk down the dark corridor off of the archway there were standing in. "See, going." she complained, looking back grumpily at Mickey, making sure to give one final look towards the Doctor, before disappearing further down the hall.

Satisfied that Rose was now searching her area, Mickey jerked his eyebrows towards the Doctor, staring at him.

"Yes, yes." said the Doctor dismissively, reluctantly turning back towards the wide staircase. Once he reached the top, he looked back to see if he could see her, but he couldn't. He wished he'd just disregarded his pride and admitted to Rose and Mickey that he really didn't want to stop holding her hand.

The Doctor shook his head to compose himself, trying to focus on the task at hand as he paced towards the main dance hall. His mind was just so groggy, it was hard to string a coherent theory about the shifts together. He and Rose might've set off a proximity alarm or something similar, meaning the device might be near the stage somewhere, perhaps nestled amongst the pile of furniture.

He scanned the area with the sonic, checking the readings on the side, nothing.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as if to sooth a headache.

He needed to focus – _focus_.

But it was so hard to think clearly with so many concerns about Rose going through his head, trying to fight the urge to sod it and join her. But, Mickey was right, he couldn't suffocate her like this. And what about when they were back travelling in the Tardis? This was pretty tame compared to their usual adventures. What state would he be in then?

He had to get a grip.

She'll be fine, she'll be fine, _she'll be fine_.

He was just tired.

He let out a sigh and dropped his hand from his face. All he needed to do was scan the upper floor for any tech, then he could get back to Rose. The sooner he searched this floor the better.

* * *

Bilis carefully and quietly made his way to the service stairs, leading to the ground floor. He had to make sure none of these interferers disrupted his plans in regards to the Torchwood team. He couldn't risk them contacting Torchwood and feeding them information, or, in the worst case scenario; finding the missing piece of the rift manipulator before Owen Harper. That would completely prevent the future he required from coming to fruition.

And it'd be so much easier if he didn't have to sneak around his own building instead of shifting. He just couldn't risk the mysterious man picking up on it, and alerting him to his presence before he had a chance to take the girl.

Bilis froze a few metres from the stairs, just as the man in the long brown coat paced past him without a second glance, his expression stony, far too distracted by other matters.

Bilis breathed once more. Well, at least - _at last_ \- it seemed the man and girl had separated, that left him an opening to take her.

But he'd seen that sort of devotion before, the man would be on even higher alert, now that he was away from his love. He would have to both; be quick in shifting the girl, and, make sure they were far enough away from the man that he wouldn't reach her in time.

But first, the missing piece of the rift manipulator.

He cautiously poked his head around the office door.

His eyes widened, darn. Today was not going well.

The girl was already there.

She was slouching on his office chair, her head resting on the top-back, looking up at the ceiling with a despondent look on her face, her feet unruly resting on his desk as she gently swivelled the chair left and right.

She looked bored.

She wasn't doing much searching either, it was more like she was waiting for something, and finding it quite a bothersome task at that.

The girl's eyes suddenly met his, like she knew he was there all along, her lips churning into a sly smile. "Ah, Bilis Manger." she said smugly. "I've been waiting for you."

This was _not_ the same girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Other Girl
> 
> When: Not sure, Thursday? If not then Sunday or Monday. 
> 
> Other notes: So, things are picking up a little, plot wise now. Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Also good luck to anyone who's doing that Doctor who quiz tonight. I'm trying it even though my knowledge is actually quite poor, but just a bit of fun, eh?


	7. The Other Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilis confronts the other girl, who seems to know all about him. But what does she want?

The girl's eyes suddenly met his, like she knew he'd been there all along, her lips morphing into a sly smile. "Ah, Bilis Manger." she said smugly. "I've been waiting for you."

This was not the same girl.

No, this was definitely not the same girl. Bilis was sure.

Not only did she know him by name, and know he was here, she looked slightly different than the original he'd seen with the man mere minutes ago.

She was a tad thinner, her voice less brash and more well-spoken. Although, her clothes were atrocious, nothing but ropey rags covered in holes. But despite her shoddy appearance, there was something different, something ominous about this girl, conniving.

Bilis stepped further into his cluttered, old fashioned office; filled with a numerous assortment of clocks, ticking away in precise synchronisation. "Who are you?" he demanded, his expression stiff, not giving any of his emotions away as he tried to read her mind, her possible futures, her past.

He concentrated hard.

She knew him. He needed to find out who she was. He needed to know if she was the one responsible for the tag-a-longs, if she was the one disrupting his plans, putting everything in jeopardy.

"Uh, uh, uh." the woman said, wagging her finger patronisingly from side to side. "No cheating. Let's keep the mystery alive shall we?"

This other girl could tell when he was trying to infiltrate her mind, see her past? She was even more powerful than the man, meaning she was even more trouble.

He had to tread carefully, very carefully, and find out what she wanted.

Bilis sighed and walked up to the girl, standing directly opposite the desk she was sitting in. Her eyes followed him, but she wasn't intimidated in the slightest, not budging from her relaxed position on the chair, her legs still resting on the top of his desk.

"Very well." he said, still not giving away any emotion in his voice. "But you still have yet to tell me your name, my dear?"

The other girl smirked. "Ah Bilis, as camp as ever." she said ironically, seeming annoyed by the question. "Who I am isn't important… well, not to you." she muttered the last part under her breath, before her voice turned quirky. "But let's just say, I can see that you've spent quite a lot of time on this little project of yours, and since it's pretty obvious you've concocted a complete misfire, I thought we could help each other."

Bilis raised an eyebrow. "Obvious? I'm afraid you've lost me, my dear."

The other girl sighed, morphing into a frustrated almost-roar. She slumped her head back on the top-back of the chair, staring up to the ceiling.

Bilis twitched a little but said nothing.

The other girl didn't open her mouth again for several seconds, not sparing him a glance. "Bilis, Bilis, Bilis." she said tiredly. "You really need to get with the times a bit more." She lifted up her head to look at him. "You've not watched the news recently I take it?"

Bilis tensed.

That wretched box? No, of course not! Why would he, Bilis Manger; someone who can see into the future, need to keep up with current events?

He forced himself to relax. "No, my dear." he said calmly. "I abhor television."

The other girl smiled to herself. "Of course you do." She straightened up a little in the chair, and inhaled like she was getting ready to hold her breath for a competition, or like she was about to say a really long sentence really quickly without stopping. She exhaled slowly, but when she spoke, she did so calmly. "Well, in that case it brings me great joy to inform you, Bilis Manger, that the rift you were so keen on opening his currently being sucked closed, the Torchwood hub that you so vitally needed to open said closing rift, is now a giant crater in the ground, and the team you planned on manipulating so cruelly - and really that was quite spectacular - to get their precious leader back, is currently disbanded." she explained, before leisurely leaning back into the chair, a triumphant look on her face, not taking her eyes off Bilis as she enjoyed his reaction.

Bilis tried to keep his emotions in check. Surely, this 'other girl' was lying through her teeth. The hub destroyed? The team disbanded? No, impossible, that was not meant to happen until the 456 and John Frobisher, after Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper had died. And the rift, closing? He mentally scoffed. How? What other worldly technology could possibly do that?

"Oh, Bilis." the other girl complained. "You should trust me more." she said, before eying a newspaper, resting on a pile of books towards the middle of the office.

Bilis didn't understand the gesture at first, so the other girl repeated the motion, more slowly and more obviously.

It took Bilis a few seconds before he followed the other girl's line of sight and went to inspect the newspaper, a typical gossip rag, tabloid filth, nothing he'd ever bring in here.

He picked it up while looking at the other girl, who jerked her eyebrows at him, a knowing smirk on her face.

He studied the front page, only for a sudden plummeting sensation to overcome him.

_THEY LIVE AMONG US! HUMANITY'S TRAITORS_

_JOHN FROBISHER AND BLAKE PETERS CHARGED WITH AIDING THE 456_

_THEY WERE GIVING THEM YOUR CHILDREN! SIX PAGE SPREAD_

Bilis's eyes widened in horror, quickly searching for the date. The other girl must've taken this from the future, surely; a future where John Frobisher survived.

It was today's date.

_Impossible._

He looked back at the other girl, unable to hide the dread on his face.

She smiled brightly at him, wiggling her fingers in his direction.

What had she done?

That future had taken him years to plan, centuries. And now it was in tatters.

He'd been monitoring the possible timelines so carefully, everything was happening according to plan four days ago, everything was set.

This other girl had changed fixed events, moved them forward? How else could she change everybody's' possible futures so drastically?

But how?

Just who was she?

How did she have such power?

And more so, why was she so keen on offering him a deal? Especially if she could move time around so easily.

Bilis adjusted his posture, squirming a little. "A deal?" he asked, as if he had any choice in the matter.

The girl nodded.

"And what gave you the impression that I was looking to do a deal with a stranger?"

"HA!" the girl spluttered, a look of disbelief across her face. "Isn't that what got you in this mess in the first place?"

This other girl knew about his deal with Abaddon?

She was impossible.

"Oh, don't look so shocked." the other girl complained dryly. "Your not the only one who can hear what's going on inside someone's head." she said arrogantly, pausing a moment to study his reaction, a self-satisfied grin briefly spreading across her face before her expression hardened, her voice becoming sterner, more impatient. "So, are you interested or not?"

Bilis considered it for a brief second. This girl was powerful, but the fact that she was offering any sort of a deal at all; after ruining his centuries of effort so spectacularly, meant that she needed something from him. Something that she couldn't do herself.

"That depends." he said calmly. "What's in it for me?"

The girl took her legs off the desk and leaned forward in the chair. "Let's be honest with each other, we both know you have no way of opening the rift without the hub." she shrugged. "But if you take the deal I'll tell you how you can get the Doctor to open the rift with the Tardis."

Doctor?

Tardis?

Who and what were they? And more importantly…

"Why would you do that?"

The woman shrugged, re-crossing her legs on the table and leaning back into the chair. "Well isn't that obvious?"

Bilis said nothing.

She puffed air out her cheeks. "Well, then I guess not." she muttered.

Bilis let out a wound breath, unable to keep his emotions completely hidden. This girl was infuriating.

She rested her head on the back of the office chair, seeming fed up that he didn't understand. She stayed like that for a good few seconds, making Bilis wait until she lifted her head up. She tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully, brows furled with fake concentration. "Why? Why? Why? Why would I offer you a deal?" Her face lit up. "Ah, yes! Revenge you see."

"Oh?" Bilis asked, revenge he could work with, revenge was doable.

"Yes, you see, I have a little deal of my own going on, well, maybe more of a wager than anything. And my little wager-ee cheated… or perhaps is going to cheat, I always do mess those two up." She shook her head to refocus. "Either way they stacked the odds in their favour and that wasn't part of the deal, it was an interesting work around, impressed me for sure, but it wasn't in the fine print. So I thought I'd have a little fun, mess with them a bit. And you can help me with that."

"And what is it you require from me?"

"Simple." she shrugged. "You let them have a little rummage around this place, kick up some dust and all of that," Her eyes locked onto his, and her voice grew sterner. "You make it so they find nothing, not you, not that piece of the rift manipulator, not that file you have on Torchwood." she kicked the desk with the heel of her foot close to the location of the file. "Nothing, they'll go home, they'll leave you alone, and then they'll pick up their friends from 1941. Then, in eight months, once the rift is replenished, they'll come back. They'll meet Adam, and - with a little help from me - he'll trick the Doctor into opening the rift, Jack stops you're boss as planned, and it all turns out like it should. You'll even get to keep your hands clean, aren't I generous."

Bilis was silent for a few moments. "I'll think about it."

The other girl's face remained serious. "Trust me Bilis Manger, I'm doing you a favour." she warned

Bilis studied the other girl for a few moments, trying to work out her angle. Maybe this was a ruse to try and get him to take the deal. He still couldn't quite work out why this other girl, who was so powerful, would so desperately need his presence to remain hidden, for his master's existence to remain a mystery.

But before he could speak, a voice echoed from the hallway outside his office.

"Hello?"

Ah, the original girl. She was still pointlessly searching the building for some sort of technology.

He turned back to the office chair, expecting the other girl to be gone, assuming the two could not coexist.

But apparently they could.

The other girl was still sitting there. She jerked her eyebrows in his direction and shrugged, as if to say ' _Yes, and_?'

Bilis glanced back to the entrance of his office and moved to the hallway. He stood in a way so the original girl could see him but not who else was inside the office. She seemed startled by his sudden presence and took a few small, cautious steps back. There was a flash of fear on her face but she stood her ground.

"Hello." he replied. "And who are you, my dear? How did you get in?"

The original girl changed her stance, trying to make herself look less afraid than she truly was. "I'm with Torchwood." she said firmly. "We got some calls about this place, so we let ourselves in. Who are you?"

"I'm Bilis Manger, the caretaker."

"Right." said the original girl, not believing him in the slightest. "We've been calling for ages, didn't you hear us?" she questioned.

"No, sorry dear, bit hard of hearing."

The original girl nodded slowly and obviously, as if to say ' _I'm offended you think I'm stupid enough for that excuse to work._ ' "Hard of hearing… right."

He glanced back to the chair, to see if the other girl was still there. She was; still lounging, watching the whole interaction play out.

But, although the original girl seemed a bit rougher than her twin, she was certainly sharp, picking up on his actions straight away.

Her eyes darted towards the entrance of the office, a curious look on her face. "Is there someone else with you Bilis?" she asked.

The other girl smirked and brought a finger to her lips, shushing Bilis like a school teacher during assembly.

Hmm, rather patronising, Bilis thought, but for now, he had such little information about either of the two girls and the other tag-a-longs, that he had no choice but to play along.

He turned his head slowly to face the original girl. "No dear. It's only me." he said lightly.

"Uh – _huh_." she said, unconvinced. "Cos, it looks to me like you're staring at sommin."

"Only my clock collection my dear."

The girl scanned him up and down. He didn't need to be able to read her mind to tell she thought he was a bit of a loon, her expression was telling enough.

"You won't mind if I see then?" she asked but was already moving towards the doorway before he could answer.

The two girls eye's met for a brief moment. The other girl feigned surprise, bringing a hand up to her mouth and letting out a shocked gasp.

But a moment later it became clear that the original girl couldn't see the other girl at all. It was obvious from her expression of disappointment, her shoulders slumping as she scanned the room, her eyes checking over the numerous clocks littered around the room.

"Wow you weren't kidding ." she mumbled, inspecting one of the grandfather clocks against the wall.

"Why, yes. There's nothing a man needs apart from clocks." he said calmly, observing the original girl step around his office, clearly searching for something out of place. She was not subtle.

Yet, she was… unguarded, far away enough from the man. And assuming this man was 'the Doctor' the other girl was talking about, then he had someone reachable who could open the rift.

Why wait eight months and re-jig his plans with Tretarri, when there was a way to stay on schedule right in front of him?

After all, why would the other girl offer him such a good deal in the first place, unless she had something to lose, unless she didn't want him to figure out that he could fix things himself? That, opening the rift now would greatly inconvenient her, and that's why she wanted him to keep away.

The other girl, still on the chair, pouted, hearing his mind. "Aww Bilis." she sighed, causing Bilis to focus on her instead. "This is a onetime offer. I'd take it if I were you."

Bilis knew desperation when he saw it, it was obvious, his theory was correct. Why the other girl didn't want him opening the rift now, he had no idea, and frankly didn't care. But she'd slipped up, because now Bilis knew all he needed to open the rift without the Torchwood hub was this Doctor.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline, I'm already under contract you see." he replied pompously.

Beside him the original girl tensed up, snapping her attention to him, unaware Bilis was having a two-way conversation.

"Oh Bilis." the other girl sighed, fed up and disappointed. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy the preview." she said, smirking one last time before she clicked her fingers and disappeared in a fraction of a second.

'Oo are you talking to?" the original girl demanded, fear creeping into her voice.

"I have no idea." he admitted, giving the original girl his full attention. He took a step closer to her, she took a large step back, towards the entrance of the office. "A friend of yours perhaps?" he asked, staring at her unblinkingly.

"Wot makes you say that?" she asked, pushing on with her questioning despite how scared she seemed.

He could easily send this girl somewhere else in time, send her back to 1941, then shift her somewhere else before 'the Doctor' got there. That way 'the Doctor' would have no way of knowing where in time she was, leaving him at his mercy. He'd order him to open the rift in exchange for getting her back. Abaddon would be free. The future would be what he'd moulded it to be.

Bilis smirked.

Yes, everything was falling into place.

If he ever saw the other girl again, he'd have to thank her for the suggestion.

"'Oi, who are you talking to!" the girl demanded. "I know there's someone there." she turned to the chair. "Show yourself!"

"They're gone, dear." he took another step closer to her, building up the energy he needed to shift her through the rift.

"Stay back." she demanded, her body stiffening with fear, bracing herself for a fight. But he didn't need to touch her, just send her away. 'The Doctor' was too far away to save her. "Oo are you? What do you want?"

Just a bit more energy, that's all he needed.

But then it hit him.

He could see it.

_All of it._

He could see into her mind, see her thoughts, her fears, her dreams. Her past, her potential future. His abilities rushing back. He was at full power once more.

Then, he stopped. His body frozen, the shift he was building dying with a whimper.

It was her.

It was _her_.

She killed the Beast.

This ordinary human girl, who grew up in some poverty stricken dwelling, brought up by some leach of society. In any other timeline destined to die in a dank shop basement, her life meaningless, forgotten in mere decades. Her funeral a mediocre turn out, held in some crumbling church, lumped together with all the other's who'd lost their lives that day.

This girl, _this one_ , she'd killed the Beast; defeated him, prevented him from escaping his prison.

Not this 'Doctor,' but her.

His Master would be furious.

But the girl's impossible past didn't stop there.

She'd looked into the heart of an ancient machine and killed thousands, risked death, made a deal with the most powerful creature in existence, all to keep her lover safe; ' _her Docto_ r.'

She was the one who made Jack Harkness un-killable, a fixed point in time, the man pivotal to his plans, the man who's timelines he could never see.

Now he knew why.

It was all because of this girl,

Rose Marion Tyler.

How was that even possible?

"Oi." the girl – Rose Tyler - said impatiently, clicking her fingers in front of his face. "You alright, mate?"

Bilis blinked, reminding himself where he was. That was quite an unexpected shock to the system.

He needed to get out, his plan had failed.

He couldn't take Rose Tyler now. What if she found a way to kill Abaddon? That would sabotage his plans completely beyond repair.

"I said, who're you?" she demanded, having gained confidence during the time he'd been zoned out.

"Why I've already told you dear, I'm Bilis the caretaker." he said with a welcoming smile.

He couldn't shift now, not right in front of her.

He needed to get out the building. Hide away for a while.

"Okay." she scoffed disbelievingly. She folded her arms, scanning the office chair with her eyes, still suspecting someone else was there. "And who were you talking to just now?"

"Just myself dear, it can get a bit lonely in this old building now and again." He explained calmly, while mentally frantically concocting an escape plan that didn't end with Rose Tyler or the Doctor pursuing him. "Now, you'll have to excuse me I must go." he said, quickly manoeuvring around 'Rose Tyler' and scurrying out of his office.

The original girl started to go after him but he slyly kicked back a book on the floor. It skidded across the wooden floorboards, stopping just under the original girl's foot as she took a step. She tripped and lost her balance, falling sideways into some of his clocks, a large crashing sound echoing down the hall.

A tad risky but now he had time to escape, move down the corridor and straight out the main entrance.

He was not even halfway down the corridor when the Doctor stepped through the arch leading to the main lobby.

His chest was heaving like he'd run a marathon, his face twisted in fury, his eyes dark, glaring murderously at Bilis. " _Where's **Rose**_." he demanded, his voice ice cold.

But Bilis couldn't answer, he was stunned into silence, sheer fear consuming him. He couldn't see the Doctor's past, that still escaped him. But his futures, his futures he could see, swirling around him.

He saw the fires raging, stars collapsing, suns dying. He saw seas boiling, forests burning, deserts freezing. He saw the Doctor's seething rage, his immeasurable knowledge, his overwhelming capacity for cruelty and suffering, for death and destruction.

And the sole target, the one at the very core of all this destruction was Bilis himself.

Bilis saw himself dying over and over again, every death cruel and painful, following years of agony and torture. In every future that was his fate, destined to die.

The Doctor had heard Rose Tyler yell, had sensed the Temporal Shift and heard the crash of the clocks from the office.

And _ran_.

And now he couldn't see Rose Tyler, he could only see Bilis.

The Doctor thought Bilis had sent Rose Tyler away; separating him from her.

And there wasn't a possible future, _not one_ , where the Doctor took that well.

This is what the other girl had meant; when she said enjoy the preview.

How could he hope to control a being like this? Ever dream of threatening him, when he was capable of inflicting so much pain?

He'd made a mistake, he should've taken that deal.

Now he'd be lucky to get out alive.

Rose Tyler sped around the corner, grabbing on to the frame of the office entrance in order to swing her body around more quickly. "Oi! Mate, what was - " She stopped by the doorway, and blinked at the Doctor, only a few metres away from Bilis. "Doctor!" she called happily.

And just like that the Doctor's timelines shifted again, his expression softening as his eyes fell on Rose Tyler. The oceans were cool, the forests still lush, the deserts still hot and scorching.

The Doctor could _see_ her.

And because of that, Bilis could sense there was a possible future, a chance, where he could still get away.

Only a chance unfortunately, for the Doctor's rage was not quelled, his mind not put at rest. The Doctor still saw him as a threat. Bilis was between him and Rose Tyler. The destruction Bilis had seen was still simmering, brewing, lying just below the surface.

Even taking one step towards her was too risky. If the Doctor suspected, even for a fraction of a second, that he was a threat to Rose Tyler's safety, then he would lash out to protect her, immobilising him in an instant. There were many different ways he went about it in the variety of possible futures, and everyone eventually led to eternal suffering on his part, so Bilis was rather keen to avoid that scenario.

He needed to calm the Doctor down.

"There's no need to shout. Miss Tyler and I were having a discussion in my office. I'm Bilis Manger the care taker." he said calmly, with a welcoming smile, supressing his fear.

The Doctor's body was rigid, prepped to attack at a moment's notice, but after he spoke Bilis saw his stance relax the tiniest amount, considering his story.

"How do you know my last name?" the girl demanded. "I didn't tell you my last name and neither did 'e, so how do you know it?"

In a second the Doctor was on maximum alert once more, this time moving his body to fully block the archway leading to the main lobby. " _Answer her_." he demanded.

Damn, thought Bilis, his nerves were getting the better of him.

"I'm afraid I don't know what to tell you. You told me your name Miss Tyler." he said, addressing her.

"No I didn't." she said sternly.

Bilis let out a little laugh of disbelief. "Well I don't know what to tell you, Miss Tyler, but I assure you, you told me your name."

Rose Tyler folded her arms. "Wot about your friend in there?" Rose stated, pointing into his office. "Did they tell you my name? Are they the ones creating the Shifts?"

Damn this girl! He could swear she was doing this on purpose! Was it really the original girl? Or the other girl playing pretend, trying to trick him. He snapped his attention to her, a mistake, the Doctor took a step closer to him, dare not taking any chances.

"This is your only warning. Stay _away from **her**_." he spat.

No, there was no ominosity, no forebodingness, it had to be the original girl. She didn't understand what her words were doing. Now it wasn't him that was boxed in between her and the Doctor, but her who was boxed in between himself and the 'creature' in the certainly empty office. She was in more theoretical danger, meaning the Doctor was even more on edge, even more ready to attack.

Bilis's life was even closer to ending.

"There's someone else?" the Doctor asked, but it was directed at Rose and not Bilis, his voice was softer and there was no aggression in it.

Rose gave the Doctor a quick glance to confirm and the Doctor snapped his attention back to Bilis. "Who is it?" he demanded. "Answer her!"

Bilis looked towards Rose. "As I told you before, they've gone dear."

"Then, who are they?" she pressed. "Are they the ones causing these shifts or is that you?"

Damn, how was he going to get out? Bilis couldn't answer honestly, in only 1% of the possible timelines does the Doctor believe him, and even then it just makes him angrier. He couldn't physically best the Doctor, he couldn't go after the girl or he'd be killed instantly, and if he tried to shift and disappear in front of them, Rose Tyler would charge forward, screaming for the Doctor, causing Bilis to accidently shift her to 1941 with him. Where a very unmaintained, and extremely distressed Doctor would be waiting for them, incapacitating him in a second.

That was the worst outcome of them all.

There was only one thing left for him to do;

surrender.

It was at the end of that thought that the other girl nonchalantly swung her head around the door frame of the office, just behind Rose Tyler. Bilis's eyes widened as they drifted over to her position, causing Rose Tyler to double take, looking back towards the office.

"Are they there now?" she asked, quickly whirling round to the entrance of the office and backing away from it slightly.

"Rose, be careful." the Doctor called, he was really on edge now, aiming a device from his pocket directly at the other girl, although, it was clear to Bilis that he was the only one who could see her. The device's end lit up blue for a split second before the Doctor stopped to check the readings on the side. "There's nothing there." the Doctor announced. "Rose, he's just trying to trick you."

But Rose Tyler wasn't convinced.

Meanwhile, the other girl ignored them both, talking over them. "Ah Bilis! You're still alive, good on you. Didn't I tell you I was doing you a favour? Now they'll stop you straight away, before you even get a chance to free your boss. It could've been so much more interesting if you'd let Adam do all the leg work. And now I have a problem, you see it'd be such a pain if they. - " The other girl pointed around to the tag-a-longs. "Worked out who I am." She jabbed a finger towards the Doctor. "Especially him."

It was at that moment that the last tag-a-long, Mickey Smith, according to Rose Tyler's mind, appeared behind Rose Tyler, right at the end of the corridor. He took one look at how tense her and the Doctor were and raised his weapon at Bilis.

"No!" the Doctor yelled at Mickey with an intense urgency. "We think he's the one controlling the shifts, shoot and there's a chance he can shift the bullets around. _You might hit ROSE!_ " The Doctor practically screamed the last sentence.

Mickey Smith instantly lowered his weapon, holstering it but remained primed to attack, waiting for the slightest hint of aggression from Bilis.

The other girl beamed, having watched the whole thing. "Aww, aren't they adorable when they're about to kill you?" she continued casually, Bilis looking at her as she spoke. "So, I'll tell you what, if you promise to keep quiet, then pack up and leave town, I'll make it so they let you go."

"Doctor, I really think someone's there." Rose explained shakily, backing up slowly towards Mickey.

Bilis nodded. "Very well, I accept."

Well, what choice did he have, given the sort of people he was up against.

Rose and Mickey tensed as Bilis replied, suspecting something was about to happen. Mickey pushed Rose behind him, and Bilis saw the Doctor relax a little - Rose was being looked after.

" _Stop it._ " the Doctor said darkly. "Stop trying to scare them."

Bilis watched as the other girl walked confidently backwards towards Mickey Smith. "I'd shift, in, oh, five,"

Mickey Smith tensed as Bilis's eyes fell on him, bracing himself to swing at the nearest touch, thinking the other girl invisible. But Bilis wasn't sure she could have presence in the physical world, he couldn't see her timelines, he didn't know what she was going to do.

"Leave 'im alone." said Rose shakily to the air, keenly following Bilis's line of sight.

"Four."

"Rose, Mickey, there's no one there.-" the Doctor reassured softly to his friends.

"Three."

The Doctor's voice turned sharp and aggressive as he addressed Bilis. " - I said stop."

Meanwhile, the other girl stopped right next to Mickey Smith. He swung for her, using Bilis's reactions as a guide to where she was. Bilis jerked back at the expected impact. But Mickey Smith's fist fazed right through her.

At the same time the Doctor saw Mickey swing, he saw how Bilis flinched, calming him a little more as he began to suspect that Bilis was actually suffering from a mental illness and was simply hallucinating, the tenseness of the situation putting Rose and Mickey on edge.

"Two,"

But then the other girl jerked her eyebrows towards Bilis before leaning over to Mickey Smith and licking him on the cheek.

Mickey reacted instantly, flailing his arms around and frantically wiping at his face.

The Doctor was too confused and too groggy to move straight away, and Bilis too shocked, but Rose Tyler instantly moved forward. "Mickey!" she called, trying her best to help him.

"One."

As Rose Tyler tried to comfort her friend, her doppelganger licked her face as well, causing Rose to frantically wave her arms around, like a dangerous insect was buzzing around her face, stumbling back and hitting the wall as she tried to get away from whatever slimy thing had just touched her.

".. _.Rose_? the Doctor breathed, still trying to make sense of what was happening. He snapped out of it. "ROSE! MICKEY!" the Doctor screamed, sprinting past Bilis in an instant, not sparing him a second glance.

Of course, how simple.

The safety of the Doctor's friend and lover far overwhelmed any thoughts he had about revenge. And the fact that Bilis was just as surprised as the rest of them put him out of the firing line.

The other girl had kept her end of the bargain, so Bilis decided to keep his, and shifted away while all of them were occupied with trying to help one another.

He had gotten out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A Job for the Torchwood Team
> 
> When: Monday/ Tuesday
> 
> Other notes. duh, duh, DUH. Could it be? Actual series plot? Yep! But also don't worry if you're here for the fluff and domestics, because there's still lots of that to come in this story. 
> 
> And I did that quiz, I got 13/40 -_- oh well, it was fun!


	8. Sleeping on the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio tries to find out more about the mysterious Bilis, but the Doctor's lack of sleep starts to catch up with him.

The Doctor grabbed a hold of Rose just as he felt the shift start to manifest again. "Mickey, another shift incoming! Stay there!" he called quickly, just as the room started to whiten.

Like before, the exposure of the room was suddenly cranked up. The Doctor could see nothing but white around him; like he'd been dropped on a sheet of paper. He could feel Rose's hands holding on to his arms and her head pressed into his chest as she shielded her eyes from the sudden whiteness. She was with him, she wasn't going to be taken.

But the shift was different this time, weaker. It looked more like a few seconds long camera flash than a minute long intense snow storm it was last time. He knew Rose was in his arms, so when the colour started to return to the room, it was Mickey who his eyes darted to, checking that he was okay.

Luckily, Mickey was still standing there; rooted in place, obviously taking his advice to heart.

"It's over." the Doctor announced. Now that he knew Mickey was okay he shifted his attention to where he'd last seen Bilis Manger, but, as suspected, there was only an empty corridor. Bilis had shifted away. He was the one responsible for sending Tosh and Jack to 1941 after all. But, why?

In response to his words, Mickey let out a breath, like he'd been holding it the whole time, his shoulders slumping in relief.

And at the same time, the Doctor felt Rose stir, blinking her eyes at the change of brightness.

"Alright?" he asked Rose, scanning her for injury.

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose and blinked hard to clear the splodges in her vision. "Yeah."

"Sure?"

She nodded, scanning the corridor for herself.

Satisfied the Doctor turned back to Mickey. "Mickey, you alright?"

Mickey nodded sluggishly, staring at the spot where Bilis was just standing. "But 'e's gone. That shift thing got 'im then?"

"Yep, he's gone, been shifted to another time." the Doctor explained quickly, taking the sonic out of his pocket and scanning the area as he spoke. He hastily checked the readings on the side, nope definitely gone. "Although, I'd say it wasn't the shift that got him, more like he used the shift."

"Wot, so he was the one controlling it?" Mickey asked in astonishment.

"Yep, but that can wait." the Doctor said hastily, pulling away from Rose and rapidly checking her over again, just to be sure. It took a second; no bruises, no sign of pain in her expression, no smell of blood. But something had clearly happened. He turned to Mickey, he seemed fine on the surface too. "Are you both alright?" he asked as he waved the sonic up and down both of them to triple check. They'd both been so spooked. He checked the readings, nothing. "Just what was that back there?" a slight hint of agitation in his voice. What was going on!

"It felt lik-"

"Wait." Rose interrupted, holding out a hand to stop Mickey from speaking. She was looking fearfully at the entrance to the office. She had been since the room returned to normal.

The Doctor instantly spun round, standing protectively in front of her.

There was nothing there.

Rose held lightly onto his arm and spoke very quietly. "The other one might still be 'ere."

She was right. The Doctor braced.

At first he doubted Bilis's reactions, thought he was just manipulating Rose and Mickey telepathically in some way. But it was clear from the way Bilis acted when Rose and Mickey were targeted that he wasn't expecting it. And even if Bilis wasn't aware of his abilities for some reason, the sonic should be able to pick up on some sort of telepathic interference, or even physiological telekinesis transference. But it didn't, meaning something undetectable on the sonic's frequency was responsible.

Basically, something was hiding from them, and doing a very good job with it at that.

He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the entrance of the office, but he held it like a weapon. At the same time Rose motioned for Mickey to stand closer to the two of them. He obeyed, side stepping towards them, not taking his eyes off the entrance.

"Show yourself." the Doctor demanded.

They waited in silence for a few seconds.

"Maybe they can't." Rose suggested.

"Or maybe they're playing with us." added Mickey, rather unhelpfully.

The Doctor tried again, his voice as commanding as he could make it. "I'm speaking to you, the entity not visible on this plane. I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation."

But, like before, the trio was met with nothing but silence for several seconds.

The Doctor exhaled deeply through his nose before glancing to both of them and striding towards the office. In an ideal world he would've told Rose and Mickey to wait behind, but not only would Rose completely ignore his request, Mickey was right and this undetectable being could just be toying with them. They could be right next to them for all he knew. "Keep close." he warned.

Rose slid her hand that was holding his arm downwards to his hand, her fingers interlinking with his. Mickey crossed over to the Doctor's free side so that the Doctor was in the middle. They moved as a unit towards the doorway of the office, poised for a confrontation.

Mickey's breathing was getting more laboured, Rose was clutching on to his hand tighter.

They peered around the doorway and looked fully into the cluttered office.

They gazed out into the office and ….

there was nothing, absolutely sod all. The only hint of movement was from the hands of Bilis's dozens of clocks, ticking away in perfect sync. Everything else was still.

The two men unwound but Rose glanced around the room and threw a Biro from the top of a chest of draws at the desk chair she'd seen Bilis staring at earlier. It hit the back of the chair with a ping and bounced onto the floor. For good measure the Doctor then scanned the area with the sonic screwdriver, but shook his head when he found nothing.

"Show yourself." Rose called to the air. "We just want to talk."

There was a few seconds of silence, but, again, nothing happened.

Rose's shoulders slumped. "Guess not then." she grumbled to herself.

"So… wot now?" Mickey asked, slightly more relaxed than before. "We can't tell if we're talking to somin or not."

The Doctor thought a moment looking around the room. " _Jeez Louise_ , this man really likes clocks." he commented, before addressing Mickey. "No, we can't. So unless we obtain any evidence to prove otherwise, for now let's assume they left with Bilis. But stay close. I mean it! No wondering off. Last thing we want is for more of us to get pulled through to the other time." He looked sternly at Rose and then Mickey, until they each nodded in agreement. The Doctor relaxed. "Good." he said lightly. "So, now, Mickey!" Mickey jumped, surprised to be suddenly called upon. "What were you going to say back there; before Rose stopped you? What did it do to you?"

Mickey's face wrinkled in disgust as he remembered the sensation. "Well, it sounds weird, but it felt like someone licked me."

Rose perked up. "Yeah, me too." she added energetically. "Like something just licked me right across my cheek." She swiped her thumb across her cheek to further demonstrate.

The Doctor looked between them, utterly baffled. " _Licked_?" he said, completely thrown.

They both nodded. "Yeah." explained Rose. "That's why I fell back. I thought I was about to be dinner or sommin."

The Doctor stood there for a few moments processing the whole thing. Licked? That made no sense. Why lick them both …. unless.

"It was a distraction." he announced. "Whoever it was, was trying to get me away from Bilis so he could escape."

"But why he'd need to do that?" Rose pushed. "He could've just sneaked out the front door, we weren't exactly guarding the entrance." she looked to the Doctor. "And just before you came, it seemed more like he was about to try somethin-."

"He went after you?" the Doctor asked darkly.

"Well, at first yeah, that's what I thought. He kept coming closer to me, and when I told him to back off, he didn't. He had that y' know… _look_ in his eyes."

"But he didn't grab ya, or nothing?" Mickey asked, while the Doctor was out of it, staring coldly at nothing in particular.

Rose shook her head. "No, I thought he was goin' to shift me, like Tosh and Jack, but then all of a sudden 'e just stopped."

The Doctor snapped out of it. "Stopped?"

"Yeah. At first… Bilis, he said he 'was already under contract' to whatever this other thing is," Rose motioned a hand to the chair. "But then he just stopped in his tracks. And after that all 'e wanted to do was leave."

"So, then the other thing did something, then? Said something to him. Got to be, right? Maybe it's on our side?" Mickey questioned.

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, like they said somemin or told them somemin, and then in the hall when all three of us were cornering him, 'e must've decided to listen and bugger off."

"Right." the Doctor said distractedly, thinking away. "Well if that's the case – and we have no idea where to even begin on identifying the other…." He searched for the right word. "Being – then we should see what we can find out about this Bilis Manger, see what he's planning, or was planning to do with this place and why he needs Jack and Tosh."

"Wot! So he took them on purpose?" Mickey asked

The Doctor jerked his eyebrows upwards to confirm Mickey's suspicions.

"Right, well then, we should call in the others. They'll be able to help." Rose suggested.

"Yes." the Doctor agreed. "The more the merrier."

* * *

The dance hall was full to the brim with people, smiling and laughing in their best dress, despite the fact that most of the men would be shipping off to war in a few days.

Tosh and Jack were resting their elbows on the railings along the upper rim of the parallel staircases, looking down to a crowd of people talking by the stage; the chandelier crystals glistening from the ceiling just above them, the lighting warm and welcoming, the music of the live band almost drowned out by the numerous discussions going on around them, the paint on the walls bright and fresh, a far cry to what the dance hall would look like sixty years into the future. But regardless of all the elegance surrounding them, Tosh and Jack's faces were solemn.

They were both looking at one man in particular. An American, wearing a full Captain's uniform, chatting to his men with a glass of brandy in his hand.

"Why does that man have your name?" Tosh asked quietly, looking to Jack, but his eyes glazed over and her temper flared. "I'm lost enough here without you holding back on me."

"I took his, I needed a false identity, so I took his name." he said bluntly, still studying the Captain, who was chuckling along to jokes from his men. "But I didn't realise he was so hot." he smirked.

"Jack." Tosh snapped in agitation, before a thought hit her and her voice withered. "But if you chose his identity to steal, then he…"

"He dies, tomorrow."

Tosh's anger dissipated instantly, replaced with sadness for this man, who was so oblivious to his upcoming death, a huge smile still on his face. "Who were you?" she asked Jack gently.

Jack dipped his head and let out a long sigh. "I was a con man, a time travelling con man, looking to sell some space junk to whoever might come along." Jack turned his body to face Tosh, his eyes pleading and sorrowful. "But I made a mistake, a colossal mistake; overlooked something."

"What happened?"

Jack looked away. He hesitated, but after a clear battle within himself and a long pause he continued, turning back to look Tosh in the eye. "I almost destroyed the human race."

Tosh's eyes popped. "What?" she gasped, her eyes flickering over his face as she tried desperately to understand. "How? Why?"

"I failed to register what'd happen when you introduce alien tech into a new environment."

"And how did you stop it?"

"I didn't."

Tosh seemed lost for a split second. "But if it happened in 1941, and I'm alive, well I was in 2007, then..." Her face scrunched up in concentration. "Someone must of stopped it." She figured it out, her eyes widening. "The Doctor."

Jack smiled.

"So that's how you met?"

"I was in a dance hall not too far off this one; middle of London." He winked. "Hell of a party. Then, I got an alert that there was alien tech in the area, so I started watching the skies. And that's when I see this beautiful blonde dangling fifty feet in the air in the middle of the Blitz, a union Jack across her chest."

Tosh's mouth hung open. "ROSE!"

Jack chuckled. "Know any other blondes who could get into that much trouble?"

Tosh smirked despite the heaviness of the information she was hearing.

"Take that as a no." he chuckled.

"Wait, so, it's true, it's all true. That blue box we saw can travel in time and space. Through the whole universe." Tosh asked awe struck, even as she was speaking it was like she couldn't comprehend what she was saying.

Jack seemed a little taken back, surprised. "How'd you know that?"

"UNIT's files." Tosh replied quickly, but Jack was still looking at her questioningly. "I was curious." She shrugged, elaborating. "Well, what do you expect? He just shows up and saves the whole planet in a single day, someone who; my boss, my friend, and the former Prime Minister all seem to know. I couldn't help it." Tosh adjusted her elbows on the railing at looked back down towards the stairs, her expression changing, becoming more somber. "I can see why you and Rose want to leave." she admitted sadly. "I mean to see other planets, to see other times, it must be fascinating."

"It is." he agreed, matching her tone, before it became lighter. "So, don't worry. Once the Tardis is ready the Doctor'll come pick us up. Hey, if you ask nicely he might even give you a lift; take you to that family thing you had."

* * *

The Torchwood team left no stone unturned as they ransacked the derelict dance hall.

Gwen and Ianto were busy sorting through all the furniture piled up in front of the stage, taring off the cloth coverings.

The already cluttered office was a complete mess, bits of paper covering the floor like a thin layer of snow, opened and emptied draws piled one on top of the other, as Rose, Owen, Mickey and the Doctor plunged through it. The contents of a Torchwood file the team had found earlier splayed out on the desk, showing numerous paparazzi shots of the team with detailed information about their lives, news articles about their exploits, but nothing on Rose or Mickey.

"I don't get it, why doesn't Bilis have anything on you two?" Owen asked, standing by the office desk and staring intently at a photograph in his hand. It was a photo of him standing next to Gwen, the SUV behind them, police caution tape blurred in the foreground.

The Doctor yawned before he spoke, standing upright from inspecting one of Bilis's grandfather clock's pendulums, causing Mickey and Rose to exchange a worried glance. "Because whatever he was planning with –" the Doctor gestured around to various parts of the office. "all this, was for an alternative timeline, one where Rose and Mickey aren't part of Torchwood. His plans are practically useless now."

"That why Smith and Tyler are missing from these photos?" Owen asked, plopping into the desk chair as he flicked through some more pictures from the file.

The Doctor's face fell. "Yes… most likely… probably…. Let me see?"

Owen leaned over the desk and stretched out to pass the photos to the Doctor, who rapidly started flicking through them, only to stop suddenly.

"Wait hold on, I don't actually know what I'm looking at." the Doctor looked around the room. "Rose!" he said excitedly, bounding up to her. "Tell me what's wrong with these photos."

Rose squinted as she tried to study them, but the Doctor flicked through them at such a pace all she saw was a blur of colour.

"Hold on! Give me a chance to actually look." she complained.

The Doctor gave her a sheepish look as an apology and began flicking through the photos incredibly slowly, unbelievably slowly. So slow, in fact, that he was still on the first picture ten seconds later.

Rose shot him a ' _seriously_?' sort of looked mixed with a bit of ' _what you on?_ ' But it was pretty clear from the look of absolute concentration on his face, made even more prominent with his tongue sticking out, that he was being one hundred percent serious. The photo still hadn't changed.

Someone, Rose thought, needed to go to B-E-D and soon.

"Why don't you let me do it?" she asked carefully.

"Really? Why? Am I going to fast?" he asked, sounding genuinely hurt.

From the desk Rose could see Owen roll his eyes.

"Err, no, but I can... see it … better if I'm holding it." she said, tripping over herself.

But luckily the Doctor was too tired to catch her extremely obvious lie. "Ah! Yes, why didn't you say so?" he chirped, handing over the photos to Rose.

As she flicked through them, trying to rack her brain to remember where they might've been taken and what might be off about them, the Doctor ducked down and weaved his head through her arms, completely blocking her view. Truly, the only thing that Rose could see now was a blur of brown from the hair on the back of his head pressing against her face, tickling her nose and getting in her mouth.

"You're right, Rose. You can see the photos much better when you're holding them." he praised.

Rose released one hand from holding onto the photos, so she could manoeuvre her body to look over the Doctor's shoulder, who, Rose was quick to realise, was standing with his feet apart in order to match her height.

"He off his face or something?" Owen asked dryly.

"He's had a bit of a week." Rose assured. "He just needs a sleep."

"You sure he doesn't need to be in a medically induced coma?" Owen remarked from the chair.

The Doctor burst out laughing for a few seconds before coming to an abrupt halt moments later, his face falling. "That's not a very nice thing to say about Mickey." he said grumpily at Owen. He gave a cheeky grin. "Very funny though."

Owen looked at him like he'd grown another head.

"What?" the Doctor shrugged.

"Maybe you should sit down Boss?" Mickey suggested.

"Why would I need to sit down?"

Mickey blinked and, looking a little lost, turned to Rose for help.

"…So, then you can… err… tell us about the photos and why me and Mickey aren't in them. And then we can go back to mum's." Rose explained pushing the Doctor towards the desk chair with one hand, passing the photos to Mickey and swatting at Owen to move with the other.

"Ah, yes, lovely." said the Doctor, grinning madly.

Owen hastily got up and climbed out one side of the desk while Mickey and Rose guided the Doctor towards the chair on the other. They both pushed him down to sit but he seemed completely unaware of what was going on and put up no resistance. He yawned again.

"Ah cuse me." He looked out to the desk. "Right, what were we doing again?"

Rose was getting more and more worried. "We were looking at the pictures." she said delicately, crouching down to his level, scanning his face. If Jack and Tosh weren't missing and Bilis hadn't seemed so dangerous, she'd take him right home. "Me and Mickey aren't in them and you said it was because Bilis was using an alternative timeline or somethin?"

The Doctor's own face fell as he realised how worried Rose looked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"We're just worried about you, y' know?"

"Why?" the Doctor looked around to all of them.

"Cos you've been acting like a nutter." Owen said bluntly.

The Doctor studied Mickey and Rose, who both had the same looks of concern on their faces. "No, I'm just due a sleep that's all, but don't worry I can handle it." he said, seeming a little embarrassed, and maybe, Rose thought, a little scared. He pulled the chair he was sitting on closer to the desk, an excuse to divert his gaze elsewhere.

Nobody said anything, making the silence awkward. "Right then." the Doctor clapped his hands together. "These the photos?" he said, clicking his fingers towards Mickey, who passed them to him. He examined them to fill the silence.

"Err, yeah." Rose stuttered.

The Doctor started to flick through them, Rose knelt down next to the desk chair the Doctor was sitting on, so she didn't have to uncomfortably squat, while Mickey looked over the Doctor's shoulder from the other side of the chair, Owen looking on from the opposite side of the desk, even though he could no longer see the photos.

"That one." Rose said, glad the 'flick pace' was more reasonable this time around. The Doctor stopped. "I was with Gwen when this happened." she explained, looking over the photo taken of Gwen sitting at a café table, with two men sitting opposite her. "We were questioning those two, they killed their friend for some stupid alien eyeball thing."

The Doctor separated that photo from the pile and examined it thoroughly, looking over it like a jeweller would an expensive diamond, holding it up to the light and everything. "Right." he said flatly. "Any others?" he nodded to the remaining pictures. Rose quickly flicked through them, Mickey looking too.

"Yeah this one en all." Mickey pointed out, flicking the front photo. It was a picture of Owen walking alone in a wooded area. He had a determined look on his face and was carrying a bulky medical case, that looked more like a toolbox. "This was that time we found the alien body in the woods. But see I'm meant to be standing next to him. I remember cos it's right next to where I… _tripped_." he muttered the last part, only now realising why the memory was so strong.

The Doctor exploded into a fit of laughter at about the same time as Owen.

"Never did get to see the rest of your victory dance, Smith."

"Oh Mickey." the Doctor sighed disappointedly. "Can't take you anywhere."

"Oh, fuck off, yeah." Mickey pouted, folding his arms in a huff. The Doctor seemed legitimately remorseful, but Mickey's reaction made Owen find the situation all the more amusing.

"Almost made the Hammers losing worth it."

"Alright!" Mickey snapped. "But it's different yeah! I'm not in the picture."

"Shame, I would've kept it when I needed a pick me up." Owen added.

"Here, here." the Doctor agreed, albeit quietly.

"Anyway." Rose interrupted. God at this rate it'd be the next morning before they got anything done. Jack and Tosh might need their help. Ugh, men, she thought. "Wot does it mean?" she asked the Doctor sternly.

"It means that old Bilis isn't human, or at least he's not anymore. He's some kind of time entity, time traveller, that doesn't rely on technology to travel through time."

"That's possible?" Rose asked.

The Doctor's tone was serious, bordering on enticing, like he was telling a mystical story. "Oh yes. There's legends and myths spanning many civilisations. People who 'become a seer of time.' Natives who make deals with omnipotent beings and become endowed with abilities beyond their species capabilities." A shiver went up the Doctor's spine as he shook himself out of it, and his voice turned more casual. "That or he's some sort of alien that has the innate ability to travel in time, but where's the mystery in that, eh?"

"So he's an alien then." Owen said blandly. "Cos I might've heard a lot of shit on this job but I've never seen a human suddenly sprout wings and start to fly."

" _One single observation can invalidate a general statement derived from millennia of confirmatory sightings of millions of white swans. All you need is one single black bird._ " the Doctor quoted.

"You've seen a black swan then?" Owen asked.

"Only once." the Doctor said, briefly scanning Rose up and down before turning his attention back to the desk, letting out a long breath, his light tone reappearing. "Anyway, let's get down to it shall we?" The others said nothing so the Doctor took that as a yes. "At any rate, Bilis can travel through time without technology, but any time travel in itself is risky. The future is constantly changing, effected by ordinary people's everyday choices. But, throw a time traveller into the mix and things get a bit more complicated."

"And that time traveller would be Bilis?" Owen asked to confirm.

"Yes and no… well it's debatable." the Doctor answered unconfidently, before he waved a dismissive hand and carried on much more sure of himself, like he was a professor giving a lecture. "Whatever Bilis is –or was - planning, he was, given the evidence," He nodded to the information on the desk. "- travelling in time to prepare for it." He looked around to each of the others in turn, checking they all still followed. He saw no drooling so continued. "But, judging from the dates here," He tapped the date in a corner of a news article spread out on the desk. "He was traveling – or shifting, more accurately – between different points in time very close together. And there's always a risk, doing that, that you'll create, or get trapped in, an alternative timeline; a different possible future of your own making. Mickey and Rose aren't in these photos because they never were, not in this version of events."

"But, I mean, if that's true then why's he here now? In this version of time or whatever?" Mickey asked.

"Because –unless it's fixed – time is constantly in-flux. There are a billion, billion possible outcomes, forever changing. If you travel in time, and interact with the world, you always push the possible futures in a different direction, just by simply being there. While Bilis was time travelling, this - " The Doctor waved his hands over the pictures and articles in front of him. "was the most likely future. Sure, it changed every time he shifted, but the changes were so miniscule, he probably didn't even notice. But, presumably, when you lot got pulled back to this universe, this" He gestured again to the articles and photos in front of him. "Stopped being a viable future and became an alternative future instead, only surviving because of Bilis's own personal timeline. So, when he last shifted from the past – 1941, in all likelihood, or some other time before your arrival - he automatically transported himself to this, more dominant, future without realising it." The Doctor thought. "And he must've kept this stuff on his person while he travelled, hence why it exists in this timeline."

"Okay, so that explains that, but we still don't know what he's planning or what he wants with Tosh and Jack." Owen added.

"Well, if he can travel in time then maybe he's looking for something we have or are going to have? Something that only Jack knows where it is?" Rose suggested.

"But then why not just take it, if he can shift or whatever it is? Follow Jack when he first hides the thing." Owen retorted.

Rose thought a little harder. "Okay so he needs us to do something, then? Something 'e can't do on his own."

"He might've used Torchwood before, our files are gone, but there might be some UNIT files on him, or somemin, or at least some sort of paper trail or an article from 1941, or, I dunno just something. Like maybe we can find Tosh and Jack in an old newspaper. I mean that's wot I'd try if I was trapped in the past and needed to tell people in the future where I was. Maybe they left us a message explaining everything?" added Mickey.

"Yeah, that's good." Owen said, flicking an approving finger in Mickey's direction. "Right Smith, you go back to the SUV, the UNIT database is still hooked up, whatever you can find on Bilis, Jack, Tosh, anything." He turned to look at Rose. "Tyle-" He stopped, but he wasn't looking at Rose.

Rose followed Owen's line of sight; up towards the Doctor's face.

His eyes were glassed over; unblinking, his mouth catching flies, like someone had just hit pause on a Doctor receptible remote. Rose was surprised there was no dribble coming from his mouth.

"Tyler." Owen sighed impatiently, rubbing his brow to calm himself. "Take him home before he keels over, alien or not, I know sleep deprivation when I see it."

"Right." Rose agreed distractedly, waving a hand in front of the Doctor.

Nothing.

"I'll keep searching here, and tell the others what's going on." Owen finished, grimacing slightly at the sorry state of the Doctor.

"Doctor." Rose called softly.

Nope.

"Doctor, _please_."

He blinked. "Rose?" he said groggily, quickly noticing how frightened she looked and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? ≡ι τ&έχει"

Rose smiled, relieved that he'd at least answered her, although what the last part was she had not the foggiest idea. She decided to focus on the first question. "I'm fine. I think we need to go back to mum's though, yeah?"

The Doctor looked around and, despite his current state, could decipher pitying looks when he saw them.

"ℵ~…. Em, wait… yes, okay, let's, go." he said, thinking carefully about each word.

* * *

Rose paid for a taxi ride back to the house, because sod putting the Doctor on a bus in his current state. Which was just as well because his head lulled to the side as soon as he sat down.

"I'm fine." he would say groggily, as he jolted back up again and tried to pretend nothing happened, only to slouch and eventually repeat the action a few minutes later.

"How long has it actually been since you last slept?" she asked as she practically heaved him up the stairs and to her room. Thankfully, everyone was out so it was just him and her, which was good because her mum would only cause a fuss and she had a feeling that would make the situation worse.

"Em, sleep? Oh… about three weeks. Who needs it, eh?"

Rose's eyes popped but she didn't say anything right away. She had no idea what to compare that to. "And how much do you sleep normally?"

"Oh…" his features screwed up in concentration. "About once every… five, six, days." he said in a high tone, like the number was nothing as dire as it sounded. "And that's pushing it a bit, it's healthy to sleep once every three days, two if a lot of thinking was involved, but I try to avoid such a time wasting activity." he leaned closer to her as if to reveal an important secret. He attempted to whisper, but his voice grew in volume with each word. "But really it's because I hate doing it. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it, with a capital H."

Oh dear it was just as bad as she thought it was, she quickened her march towards her bedroom and pushed the Doctor onto the bed. "Look just stay here, get comfy and I'm going to change. I'll be back okay?"

"You're leaving?" he said, but he sounded so hurt, Rose knew he was thinking something else.

"Just to get ready." she reassured quickly, grabbing him by the shoulders and praying that the look she was giving him was dramatic enough to convince him.

"Ready? For what? Are you in trouble?"

No, but you most definitely are.

"Nope." she said lightly, forcing out a smile. "Just want to make you wait a bit." she said cheekily, hoping he had enough brain power left to process a joke.

"Oh, that's not very nice." he smiled.

And with that she quickly dashed off to the bathroom, scrambling to put on last night's pyjamas that she'd left in the washing bin.

When she got back into the room the Doctor was already asleep on the bed… or so it seemed. Like before, once she sat down on the other side of the bed he shot up and out; as if on a catapult mechanism.

"Sorry." he said.

She gently pulled him back down so that he was sitting on the bed. "Doctor, please you have to sleep."

The Doctor sat down without a word, but didn't lie down fully on the mattress, staying on the edge.

She sighed. She was hoping it might be easier given that he was so tired, but now that didn't seem the case. "If it's not just the bad dreams, then wot else is it?" she asked, hoping to gain some insight into how to help.

The Doctor didn't say anything for a long while he just sat there on the edge of the bed. Rose waited.

"Well, I guess, it's not exactly a pleasant sight." His mouth moved to say more, he even rocked a little as he stopped himself. Rose sat up in the bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want you to see me like that." he said.

Rose's eyes softened as she shuffled closer to him and pulled him into a hug. He was being unusually open with her, but she knew he was too exhausted to be able to restrain himself like he normally would.

She didn't want to take advantage of that, so she wouldn't push him anymore. She just held onto him for a few moments. He was so rigid he barely relaxed.

"Doctor, I'd take seeing you in a state over you going through somemin like that on your own any day." she said honestly. "I want to help, yeah? Even if I can't do much to stop them, I can at least be there when you wake up."

He didn't say anything for a while.

"Yeah?"

"Yes." she said with certainty.

He thought for a little, from her position behind him she could see a smile form on his lips. "You really are something Rose Tyler."

She smiled before hastily adding on. "And it's not just me."

The Doctor, finally, looked back at her. He was clearly a bit confused. "Hmm?"

"It's not just me who wants to help you, but all of us" she explained, but as she suspected the Doctor shut down instantly, his body becoming stiff again, and turning away from her once more.

She pulled away and let him be. But she continued, becoming a little flustered as she did, knowing how much this conversation would make him squirm. But, it needed to be said, for, although he'd never admit it, she knew he wasn't just worried about _her_ seeing him, he was worried about _the others_ , and how they might react. It would explain why he'd been so adamant about sleeping on the Tardis, because the walls were thicker in there. "Y' know when I was first staying in the parallel world I used to 'ave bad dreams all the time."

The Doctor closed up even more, like he was bracing himself for a punch, he took a tight intake of breath and Rose noticed his hands start to clutch the edge of the mattress.

She just hoped, after she'd said her bit, that he'd feel a little less nervous about sleeping.

"Like I used to worry about something happenin' and you not being there to stop it. And that thing with Lil didn't make it any better.'" she fiddled with her fingers as she explained. "Like I'd see when Lil got attacked, only it'd be a different person each time." She cast her eyes to the floor as the fear she felt back then surfaced, the memories flashing through her mind. "You were even in it once."

The Doctor still sat unmoving, like he'd been turned to stone. But he was listening, Rose knew that much.

"They used to get so bad that I'd call out in my sleep. God it was so embarrassing, used to send everyone running to my room… But then I realised, it was cos they were worried about me. And they just wanted to help. I mean, if it was any of them goin' through the same thing, I'd just want to help them too. And it's the same with you."

She looked up hopefully at him, nope, still nothing readable.

"And I'm not saying you have to feel the same way, but mum has practically adopted you now, just like she 'as with Mickey and Jack. If it's that bad that the others will 'ear you, I know it's a bit weird, but they really just want to 'elp, and they're not going to kick you out, or make fun of you or anything like that, because you're part of the gang now, even if mum does slap you sometimes."

The Doctor still didn't move, not even a twitch; keeping everything so guarded.

Rose waited… and waited. Maybe she'd exposed him too much, he was feeling too vulnerable?

It was another five seconds before he finally spoke, Rose knew, she was counting. "So… you're saying I'm a Tyler now, is that it?" he asked, his tone void of emotion.

Rose was a bit unsure of what to say; yes, but not like we're married, but not like siblings either, it was tricky to put into words. "Well, yeah." she settled on, before her silence became a problem. "Though I don't think anyone sees us as brother and sister though, that'd be weird." She stopped herself before she dug herself into any more of a hole. If they weren't brother and sister then they were, the other option, right? Which was well, married. But she hadn't meant it like that at all! She just wanted him to know that he was accepted here, that they – all of them – weren't going to leave him. Oh, why didn't she just say that? Real smooth, Rose, stellar people skills as ever.

She hesitantly looked up, expecting to see a Doctor sized dust cloud instead of him, the door wide open; swinging on it's hinges, and the sound of the - suddenly working - Tardis in the distance.

But he was still there.

"You're right, that would be weird." he said, his tone lighter but still not turning to look at her.

After another couple of seconds he sighed. "Well I suppose I should go change into my jimjams, Jackie will only be nagging me otherwise." he complained, getting up without casting a single look her way.

She watched him like a hawk as he moved over to her wardrobe by the door, opened it an started fishing around for his pyjamas in the brown paper Primark bag Jackie had handed him the day before.

She wanted to see his face, try and get a read on his expression.

Was he going to do a runner? Please no, not that. He needed to sleep.

A second later Rose's eyes popped. The Doctor started taking off his clothes.

Her cheeks instantly flushed as the Doctor took off his shoes, moving quickly on to his t-shirt.

Her head jerked back and forth in a fluster, undecided to where exactly she should be looking. What did this mean? He'd always got changed in the bathroom until now. Did he believe her words? Or was he just too tired to care? Should she look away because he wasn't functioning at full capacity? Or was it his way of saying I trust you a bit more now? Like when a cat jumps up on the bed for the first time. Would looking away upset him, because it'd be like her saying she wasn't ready? Was she reading too much into this? Why was everything always so complex with him?

She settled on keeping her eyes straight ahead, ready to dart them either way once she had more information. She risked a look, she could see his bare back, his hair ruffled as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. God he was stunning. The actual action of him undressing was intoxicating. Rose had understood yesterday why Victorians got hot under the collar over a bit of ankle showing; because it was a rare sight. She'd actually seen his arms in that t - shirt, it might as well have been his arse, but now it looked like she might actually get to see that for real.

He flung the shirt back in the direction of the paper bag. Any other time, Rose was sure it would fall perfectly into the bag without the slightest rustling sound, but given his current condition, he missed the bag by miles, putting far too little power into the chuck. The t-shirt hit the floor, crumpling in an instant behind him.

He moved on to his jeans, only to stop with his hands on the zipper. "Hold on, where's the sink?"

He thought he was already in the bathroom. Look away, look away, _look away_.

Rose couldn't see his face, whipping her head around to the opposite wall as quick as she could, but she could picture him scanning the room, and even in his present condition she was sure he could see her ears glowing red.

"Oh."

There was silence.

Deafening silence.

Please speak Doctor, so I know you haven't 'checked out' again, Rose mentally pleaded.

"Pretend you didn't see that." he said blandly.

"Yeah, fine." Rose replied quickly, nodding enthusiastically. "Whatever suits you." she was sure to clarify.

"Oh thank fuck for that." he said, utterly relieved. "That was a close one Theta, you absolute plonker."

Rose didn't know whether to burst out laughing or gasp in shock. It was very clear that his brain to mouth filter was malfunctioning catastrophically. She'd never heard him swear before, and it sort of felt like when you see a teacher in the supermarket. But, far more importantly, he'd not referred to himself as the Doctor but 'Theta' was that… was that his real name? He _never_ said that, _ever._ He needed to go to sleep, now, before he regretted it later.

"Ready?" she asked, unable to hear anything to tell her otherwise.

"Yep."

She hesitantly looked round, half expecting he'd have forgotten to put on the bottoms.

No, fully dressed in the plaid pyjamas her mum had got him. The buttons were all done wrong though, like a child who doesn't know how to get themselves dressed.

She smiled and pulled back the covers, patting the empty space on the bed.

He moved shyly over to the bed. This time when he got in he took the time to plump up the pillows, and get comfortable, laying on his stomach and getting underneath the covers, instead of just coffin styling it like she'd found him before. And this time when he rested his head on the pillows he tucked his arms underneath them and closed his eyes.

So this is how he actually went to sleep.

Rose tried to stifle her smile but couldn't. He really was adorable. When they got back to the Tardis she really hoped he'd be okay with keeping this arrangement. Going to bed every night, next to him, yes please.

"Happy now?" he asked, clearly sensing her glee even though his eyes were shut.

"Yes." she giggled, leaning back to turn off the light before wiggling back under the covers. "Good night, Doctor."

"Nighty nighty – no – nighty night, HA! Nighty night Rose Tyler."

She laid still in the room for a few minutes. The sun was still up, and it's glow visible through the material of the curtains. She could hear some children still playing outside as she waited for some sort of hint that he'd fallen asleep.

"Rose." he asked after a few more minutes had past.

"Yeah?"

"You're not going to leave are you?"

"No." she said instantly.

"Even if I scare you tonight?"

"Nope, fraid not."

"Good. I don't want you to leave."

Her heart broke a little. But before she could offer any sort of reassurance he spoke again.

"I mean you can… if you want, don't think that you can't. But I'd like it if you stayed."

"I know." she said sadly, restraining herself from hugging him like she wanted to do. He had been so finicky about sharing a bed with her, and so terrified of sleeping in front of her, she was worried any other 'domestic' firsts would push him over the edge. And even if she did and he didn't mind cuddling, he wasn't himself, it'd feel wrong to her, like she was talking advantage.

"Good. Good." he said, yawning.

Next to her Rose heard him shuffle a little, then a few minutes later she started to hear him snoring softly.

She looked over to the clock by her bed. The Doctor had finally gotten to sleep at six thirty-seven in the evening.

* * *

She wasn't sure when she herself had fallen asleep, but she was abruptly pulled from her peaceful slumber by an arm flinging over her side.

She quickly reached over to turn the side light on. It was dark outside now, the ember light from the lampposts outside pushing through the gap in the curtains. No sound of the TV, the early morning perhaps? She looked over to the Doctor.

His eyes were clenched shut, his face twisted.

He was having a bad dream.

She could do this. She could do this.

"Doctor?" she tried to sooth. She reached out and stroked her hand through his hair and hoped that whatever nightmare he was having wouldn't morph into a Dalek trying to eat his head or something. "Doctor, it's okay. It's okay, it's just a dream, it's not real, I'm here."

After half a minute and little change, it was clear this was doing sod all. She thought back to when she was little, nope nothing, her mum used to just send her back to bed. But Pete would sing to Tony when he'd wake up in the night. She remembered the time they went to the Olympics and saw Chloe and how her mum used to sing to her too. Maybe that'd help?

She wasn't much of a singer, well that's what Jimmy used to tell her anyway, she pushed that name away, briefly annoyed how it'd wriggled into her head just now. She refocused her attention to the Doctor, it looked like he was in agony.

She had to try something!

She didn't give much thought into the song, she just blurted out the lyrics to whatever she'd been hearing recently on the radio. 'Mr Brightside' came to mind first. She completely botched it she was sure, but she sang softly as to not wake up the house.

She kept stroking his hair as she sang, and after a few verses it – _thank fuck_ – seemed to sooth him.

Alas, it was short lived. For as soon as she'd stop he'd start up again a few minutes later.

It was two hours, and numerous song changes, before his breathing changed as he started to fall into a deeper sleep. So deep in fact, Rose momentarily thought she'd sung him to death. His breaths were so long, lasting well over twenty seconds. And the pause between each exhale and inhale so great, it gave the impression that he wasn't breathing at all. But after ten minutes had passed, and the pattern hadn't changed, Rose put it down as a 'superior Time Lord' thing.

She waited another ten minutes just to be sure he wouldn't start up again.

He didn't so she allowed herself to drift back to sleep, happy that she'd seemed to make some small amount of difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: (err it doesn't have a name yet)
> 
> When: Sunday/ Monday, if it's a good week.
> 
> Other notes: The symbols the Doctor speaks is just jumbled up Greek and Maths stuff I took from the Doctor who wiki to represent Gallifreyan. Also sorry this update took a bit longer than normal. I was just not in the mood, you know? And as well I had to really edit this chapter and the next one because all the action was concentrated in one place and not spread out like I wanted. 
> 
> And finally (sorry) it looks like this chapter might be wrapped up in 10 chapters instead of twelve, we'll see though. This whole story was meant to be a 10K or less one shot originally -_-.


	9. The Real Captain Jack Harkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack searches for some closure with the man whose name he stole. Jackie's worried about the Doctor's sudden blissful mood after a goodnight's sleep.

Rose was woken up, yet again, by the afternoon sunlight hitting her face through the gap in the curtains of her bedroom. She never was a morning person but it seemed she was making a habit of getting up late these last few days. Well, it wasn't exactly of her own making; the 456, the Doctor…

Her brain catching up to her own thought, she spun her head in search of him.

He wasn't there.

Nah, she shook her head to dismiss her fear. He hadn't done a runner, surely not. He seemed... well really she wasn't sure. He wasn't himself. Maybe he might've remembered what he said last night, or, that whole thing with getting dressed might've spooked him.

No, he'd be there. He wouldn't leave her. Not after what he'd told her. He was just downstairs.

_He had to be._

Rose tried to maintain her composure, but ended up scrambling down the stairs once she'd checked the upstairs rooms and found no one.

She checked the living room first, nothing.

Oh please, oh please, _oh please_.

The dining room….

Her whole body slumped, she had to grab on to the door frame as the relief washed over her. He was there, with Mickey.

She'd must've been asleep longer than she thought as both of them were dressed, both wearing jeans, Mickey a hoodie and the Doctor a new T-shirt from the Primark bag. They were sat next to each other around the table, studying something on Mickey's laptop. Something to do with sound, Rose guessed, as both of them had headphones in. She stared at them both for a bit, happy that he was there, the niggling fear at the back of her mind subdued.

Her mum spotted her from the kitchen.

"Rose, come give me a hand." she asked lowly, giving Rose an intimidating glare as she dried a plate with a dish cloth.

Uh oh.

Her mum was using that voice, was giving her that look. That 'you're in trouble' voice, so much trouble that I'm not going to shout.

"Yeah." she called, and went in the kitchen. What had she done, really? Nothing.

Jackie wasted no time. "What were you two up to last night?" she asked coldly, putting the plate on the drying rack and flopping the dish cloth over her shoulder.

Rose scrunched up her face. "Nothing, we just went to bed." Her anger flared, waving an accusing hand at her mum. "You're the one who suggested it."

"Hmm, you sure about that?" Jackie pressed coldly, placing a hand on her hip.

Rose was even more lost, even if Jackie had heard them last night, the Doctor wasn't tossing enough for it to be mistaken for anything heated. "Yes." she said, annoyed.

"Well 'e sure was happy when 'e came down this morning. Offered to cook breakfast."

Rose's mouth fell open. The Doctor never cooked. "He wot?"

Jackie folded her arms. "An' he said I looked nice today."

Rose was flabbergasted, completely flummoxed. The Doctor, complimenting her mum? Never. "O' my God."

"You two being safe?"

" _MUM_!" she hissed. He was right in the other room and he had bat like hearing. If he heard this he'd probably regenerate out of embarrassment, if the 'jimjams incident' from last night was anything to go by.

"Well I 'av to ask don't I?" she protested, before her voice turned fierce, not to be messed with. "Cos if you think I'm looking after two babies in this 'ouse you've got another thing coming."

"NO! Mum!" Rose insisted, completely flustered. "It's not that, we haven't even done …." Rose lowered her voice, just now realising how loud it'd become. "We haven't done anything like that yet, alright?" she answered honestly. "I dun even know if he…." She stopped herself with a small shake of her head, composing herself and grabbing hold of Jackie's shoulders. "We weren't." she said firmly, looking into her eyes.

Jackie scanned Rose up and down. "Then why's 'e so happy?" she yielded.

Rose stepped back and shrugged, trying to think. "How should I know? Last night all me and 'im did was talk."

"About wot?"

Rose hesitated, thinking of what exactly it could be that she hadn't said to him before. "Just stuff, like, I told 'im that he was part of the family now." Jackie shot her a look. " **No** …I meant, like the way Mickey and Jack are." she clarified.

Jackie was confused for a split second. "Well of course 'e bloody is. I said so didn't I? Why would I let him in the flat if 'e wasn't?"

"I know, but I don't think 'e knew until last night when I told 'im out right, but look don't say anything, okay? I mean it."

"Don't worry I won't."

Rose paused a little, a thought suddenly hitting her. "And don't you tell 'im outright either, then he'll know I told you an' I don't know how much he wants you to know."

"Fair enough." Jackie agreed, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. "So wot you having for breakfast then? And don't worry, I told 'im I'd make it, otherwise we'd have the bloody fire brigade down 'ere."

Rose didn't get to answer as the Doctor wondered into the kitchen. "Jackie." he said gleefully. "Have yo– Rose! There you are!" He instantly grabbed her into a big hug, spinning her around before dropping her to her feet, but keeping his hands on her waist. "Did you sleep okay?"

Rose instantly could see what her mum had meant; his enthusiasm was dialled up to eleven. "Yeah." she nodded. "You?"

"Oh yes!" he sang. "Me and Mickey have narrowed down the exact date Jack and Toshiko were taken to; the Kiss the Boys Goodbye Dance, Saturday 20th of January, 1941, eight fifty-seven in the evening. Not bad, eh? The rest of Torchwood are searching for Bilis, no luck there though. But, what'd you say, you up for it? See if the old girl will let us in yet?" The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Maybe sneak in a quick trip to the 1940's?"

Rose beamed, and, straight away, so did he. He was just so happy. "Don't see why not." she said teasingly.

He giggled. "Mickey!" he yelled suddenly, rattling her ear drums. He released his hold and swiftly moved out of the kitchen and towards the dining room. "Rose is up, let's go to the Tardis."

His words caught up with her and she rushed towards the dining room. "Not yet, I'll have to get ready first." she called, arriving at the doorway.

The Doctor's shoulders slumped, looking annoyed. "Is this a mission or an adventure?" he asked dryly.

"Mission." she said firmly. "So don't worry, you're not goin to be waiting long."

* * *

"Why did you make me kiss her goodbye?" Captain Jack asked, desperate to know; the real Captain Jack, the one due to die in less than twenty-four hours.

He and the ex-Time Agent were sitting opposite each other in a snug gallery above the stage; the velvet chairs comfy, and the dimly lit lamps making the area very private.

The Time Agent looked longingly into the Captain's eyes, desperate for him to understand, desperate for him not to waste his last moments regretting what he didn't do. "I just think you should live every night like it's your last. Make tonight the best night of your life. You're alive, right here, right now. Your men are fine."

The Captain looked stunned at first, before his expression changed, morphing like there was some huge inner battle going on within his mind. For a second Jack thought it was directed straight at him, like he wanted him to say something but couldn't risk exposing himself. Jack knew the time well, men who had that sort of look usually meant they wanted something more than a shoulder to cry on, but were too scared of the ramifications to act on it.

But that couldn't be, could it? The real Captain Jack had a girl, and it would just be too perfect. The man's whose name he stole, choosing him in his final moments, that he, a con man, was what he wanted most right now.

No, it couldn't be.

"What are you trying to say?" the real Captain asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.

**No.**

Jack sighed, planning to redirect the conversation and hide his own heartbreak at the same time. Things never worked out that way for him, all wrapped up in a nice little bow….

But that wasn't true was it?

He was with Rose Tyler, he was with the Doctor, the Tardis was coming to pick him and Tosh up… hopefully, and he was going to get the 51st century burger that he'd been craving since the 1960's.

As nice little bows go, that was pretty something.

Oh what the hell.

Jack surged forward and started kissing the Captain, and very passionately at that.

The Captain began to move away at first but then must've decided to fuck it because he pulled Jack closer.

It was then that _beautiful_ sound filled the hall. The ancient churning of a magical machine. A machine that long ago he thought only belonged only to legend. The whooshing and wailing calling him home.

_The Tardis._

Jack pulled away from the kiss, smiling. The Captain stayed in place, savouring the moment. Jack cupped his cheek.

"Wow…" the Captain breathed. "You were serious about living everyday like it was your last."

Jack's smile grew. "Yeah, but…" He looked out to the party goers dancing and enjoying themselves on the dance floor below. They looked so carefree even if, not thirty minutes ago, they were sheltering from bombs raining down on them. Nestled amongst the sounds of the musical instruments and the muffled voices the Tardis called out once more. "I have to go." Jack said, turning to face him. "It's my duty." He thought for a little while. "But I'll be back." he smiled, before darting off. Surely, the Doctor would allow him to stay a bit longer in this time...right?

He ran down the stairs leading to the main dance hall, calling for Tosh.

"Jack!" she called back, rushing up to him, pushing past the party goers. "I heard it! The blue box, but where is it?" she asked stretching on her tiptoes, spinning around trying to spot the Tardis.

Jack searched too, he couldn't see it materialise. "Let's check outside!" he said frantically.

They rushed towards the main entrance, barging through the crowd, some of whom shot them agitated looks as their drinks spilt; the Tardis's whooshing still going on in the background.

They pushed the doors open at the same time and raced down the short steps and out into the road, hectically looking around for any sign of the Tardis. The engines were louder, it must be close. Close, and on a flat surface, Jack remembered.

But the building was built into a slope, as was the Gothic, stone, mid-eighteen hundreds church on the opposite side of the dance hall. Jack veered his head towards the bottom of the hill, near a line of terrace houses, where the entrance to the Church was. The pavement looked flatter over there. "Come on." he said quickly to Tosh, as he raced down.

He'd turned the corner just in time to see the Tardis materialise in front of the main entrance to the church. Jack beamed. Oh it was so good to see that police box, and it felt even better to know that it come to get him.

The door creaked open. Rose was the first one out, wildly scanning her surroundings until her eyes fell on Jack. She broke out into a splitting grin and charged straight at him.

"Jack!" Rose yelled happily, spreading her arms as she jumped towards him. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, laughing as he did.

A moment later the Doctor and Mickey stepped out of the Tardis. A warm fuzzy feeling washed over Jack, seeing the Doctor in front of him. This time, he really had come back for him.

"Oh thank God you're okay." Rose spoke into his shoulder.

"Never better."

Rose caught sight of Tosh and released Jack to hug her. "Tosh! You're both okay." she said gladly.

Meanwhile the Doctor and Mickey stepped forward, directly in front of Jack, and directly behind the Tardis.

"Thought for a while I'd have to sit through WWII … again." Jack joked.

"Nah." said the Doctor. "A temporal shift, anyone with even the slightest bit of time sense could figure out where you were sent."

"And then spend a day asking Torchwood to help narrow it down." Mickey added.

"Oi! Don't go telling people I need help. I'll lose all my respectability." the Doctor complained, but he wasn't being serious.

Jack chuckled as Mickey patted the Doctor on his back. "Don't worry about that, Boss. You didn't have any to begin with."

The Doctor's mouth fell open, completely offended.

Jack beamed, seeing an opportunity. "Yeah, I mean respectability?... Doctor? never heard that in the same sentence…. Like ever." he teased.

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed, looking between Mickey and Jack in disbelief. "I have a lot of respectability thank you very much, I practically ooze respectability." He looked to Rose for back up. "Tell them Rose."

She was silent.

"ROOOSE!" The Doctor complained.

"Sorry." she said, not meaning it at all. She smirked, but tried to hide it under her jacket. "I'd be lying otherwise." She muttered, although what she said, was, in fact a lie. But here was an opportunity to tease him and she was unable to help herself.

The Doctor mockingly gaped, stunned into silence.

Meanwhile, Tosh looked awe struck between the group; this was not how she expected 'The Doctor' to act after being talked to in such a way. Rose, Jack and Mickey were talking to him like they were old friends, a family even. Nothing like the rigorous, polite, respectable, unquestioning manner that UNIT officers were under strict instructions to follow. But then again, they were friends weren't they? How extraordinary, to have a friend who could pick you up from the 1940's like it was from the Tesco Local.

"Well I've never been so insulted." the Doctor gasped, but broke out into a splitting grin a few seconds later. "It's good to see you're both alright." he said sincerely, looking towards Jack.

Jack smiled back. "You too. What happened back there? I've never heard of a Temporal Shift that could actually transport people."

"That's because it wasn't naturally occurring. Someone called Bilis Manger is - "

Tosh's eyes widened. "Bilis Manger?" she asked. "The manager?"

The Doctor, Mickey and Rose shared a worried glance amongst themselves. "You've seen him?" the Doctor asked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Yeah." Jack answered confused. "He was greeting the guests, directed everyone down to the air raid shelter about forty minutes ago. Haven't seen him since though. I'm guessing he's someone we need to be worried about?"

"Yeah, he's the one who sent you here." Mickey explained.

"What! But why?" Tosh asked.

"We dunno for sure. But Ianto found a piece of the old Rift Manipulator in his office back in 2007, we thought he might've wanted Torchwood to open the rift." Rose added.

"Open the rift? But we can't." Tosh looked to the Doctor, wanting him to clear up the confusion. "The hub's gone, and your ship, didn't you say it would temporarily close the rift? Why send us now? The explosion was all over the news. If he knew about the manipulator then surely he'd know where the hub was, so he'd know it was gone?"

"You're right. But Bilis is from an alternative timeline, one where your hub is still operational." the Doctor explained.

"A Bootstrap Paradox?" Jack asked.

"Well, I was thinking more of the old Tobrine Multiple Interference Effect." the Doctor corrected.

"Ah right of course. You're here." Jack stated, seeming annoyed with himself, like he'd asked a stupid question before a sudden thought hit him, his eyes widening in panic as he glanced between Rose and Mickey. "But the hub? Them?" Jack gestured to the pair.

"See now yes, the jury's still out on that one but I'm guessing –"

"That's our Bootstrap Paradox?"

"Most likely."

"Got it."

Tosh, Mickey and Rose all blinked, as though the Doctor and Jack had suddenly turned purple.

"Sorry, what's a –" Tosh began to ask.

"It's a Time Travel thing." both Jack and the Doctor said at the same time, in the same dismissive way. They blinked at each other, surprised at their own synchronisation, before Jack turned to Tosh. "Don't worry about it." he said, before rubbing his hands together. "So, if it's just a T-M-I-E, you've already bumped up this timeline by landing here, and Bilis has already shifted to the dominant future," Jack's voice turned hesitant and a little hopeful, like when a child wants their parent to buy them a sweet and they ask in an overly polite way. "Then I guess we can maybe stay a lil longer?" Jack laughed nervously. "I mean… it's a hell of a party."

"Jack." the Doctor said firmly, his hands half way in his jean pockets. "Even if Bilis has already left for our future, if we stay and Bilis comes back while we're here then he either stabilises the causal nexus, or we risk getting caught in a loop if we return to 2007 before he leaves."

"I know but, I was sorta hoping to have one last dance with the guy who's name I took."

"Wot the real Captain Jack Harkness is here?" Rose asked, gobsmacked.

"Wot Jack Harkness isn't your real name?" Mickey asked, immediately following Rose's question.

Jack turned to face Rose. "Yes, and he is hella hot." he grinned. He sharply turned to face Mickey. "No, Time Agents are meant to set up a fake identity every time we 'jump.'"

"Why'd you do that?" Mickey asked.

"Because it's dangerous to use your real name, it can be used to find out who you are, if your enemies do that then they can make it so you never exist, stop your parents from meeting, kill you when you're still a kid, that sort of thing."

"But…" Mickey looked at the Doctor like he'd had the rug pulled from under him. "Me and Rose never used a fake name when we were with you."

The Doctor glared at Mickey. "Yeah, well, that's because you're not a Time Agent," he snapped. "You're not in 'the business.' And if we ever did stumble across another time traveller, they wouldn't be looking for you in this time period. And if, by some miracle, they did manage to find you and _they dare even think_ of doing something like that, then they'd have to get past me first, alright?"

Mickey seemed a bit taken back, but after thinking the Doctor's words over for a few seconds he nodded. "Yeah, okay." He conceded. He turned to Jack. "So why you want to dance with yourself?" he asked, trying to steer the topic away from whatever nerve he hit with the Doctor.

"Because he dies tomorrow." Jack said quietly, looking around the empty street, in case anyone was in earshot. "He's gay and I just kissed the hell out of him."

"Jack, you know that we can't save him." the Doctor stated.

"I know." Jack said surely. "I know." he reaffirmed. "But this is his last night alive, I just feel like I owe him after using his name for so long. I want him to move into tomorrow without any regrets…. and" he began hesitantly. "I sorta said I would be back."

The Doctor said nothing for a long moment, scanning Jack up and down. He sighed. "Oh, go on then."

Jack beamed, completely giddy.

The Doctor pointed a sharp finger at him. "But any sign, any hint of Bilis we leave, we leave straight away. We still don't know why he wanted Torchwood to open the rift, or what or who he is."

Jack nodded. "Understood, Doctor."

"And just one hour, no more. I'm not risking the casual nexus."

"You have my word."

The Doctor sighed again, this time glancing around, reading everyone's expressions. His gaze held on Rose the longest before returning his attention to Jack. "Okay, one hour, that's it."

"Thank you, Doctor." Jack said sincerely, before whirling around and running back up the hill towards the entrance.

"So, wot are we meant to do? Just wait?" Mickey asked.

"Yep." the Doctor said, taking Rose by surprise a little.

"Wot we're really not going to go in?" Rose questioned.

"We can't." he said firmly. His mood lightened. "Well, Tosh can." He looked towards her. "If you want?"

Tosh gazed at the Doctor questioningly. She glanced around to Rose and Mickey, still unsure. Rose jerked her eyebrows at her and gave her a sly grin, as if to say 'go on.' A small smile appeared on Tosh's face. "Well... I guess It'd be a shame to waste an opportunity."

The Doctor gave her a half grin. "Right, off you go then." He jerked his head towards the dancehall. "See you in less than fifty seven minutes and ten seconds and no later."

Tosh smiled politely back, clutching her handbag as she wondered back up the hill, looking back and waving nervously about half way up.

Rose, Mickey and the Doctor looked on.

"Why can't we go?" Rose asked, watching Tosh enter the building.

"We weren't in any of the photos taken from this night." he explained. "And we have to keep it that way."

* * *

Forty minutes later Jack walked with Tosh back to the Tardis, a huge grin on his face. He'd done it, he'd kept his promise, he'd done something right by the real Jack Harkness. They'd danced in front of everyone, they'd kissed again, then made themselves scarce while the rest of the hall gossiped. The real Captain told him that giving in to the way he felt about another man was the one thing he'd always wanted to do, but didn't think anyone else would feel the same. He told him, that if this was his last day, then now he wouldn't have any regrets.

Jack didn't tell him the truth, of course. But wasn't that something?

They walked up to the Tardis doors. He had his key, he always did, but this was going to be Tosh's first time in the Tardis and he'd always wanted to see someone else react to it, and he had a feeling Rose and Mickey would want to see it too.

Rose opened the door and Jack smiled cheekily. "Why evening Madame," Jack joked in a posh voice. "Me and my lovely guest I have here with me tonight, would like a ride home in your fine vessel, if you would be so kind?"

Rose playfully bit down on her lip, before her expression and posture changed. "Why I say, a ride at this hour?" she mimicked Jack's posh voice, sounding hot and bothered. She scanned them up and down and broke out into a smile, dropping the accent and the anger in it. "Come on then." she said casually, jerking her head inside the Tardis. Jack beamed and moved to step inside. "DOCTOR, MICKEY." she called. "THEY'RE BACK."

Jack moved past Rose, stepping into the Tardis, which protested, grumbling and lurching a little, begrudgingly accepting his entrance. "One day you'll get used to me old blue." Jack sang.

Meanwhile Tosh peered hesitantly through the door way, watching Jack throw his coat over the Doctor's which was hung over the nearest coral pillar.

"No, no, no, no, no." the Doctor called, rushing towards Jack from behind the time rotor, while Mickey poked his head around the console from the captain's chair. "That place is for my coat and my coat only." he complained to Jack, grabbing Jack's coat off the coral and pushing it towards him. "You'll crease it."

"You know this new regeneration." Jack said, snatching his coat quickly, just as the Doctor let go, so it didn't fall to the ground. "Kinda stuck up."

The Doctor's mouth flew open. "Am not."

"Are too." Jack retorted cheekily.

Rose rolled her eyes from the entrance, before glancing back to Tosh, seeing how nervous she was. "Come on Tosh, it's okay." Rose reassured, motioning a hand for Tosh to move forwards.

"AM NOT!" the Doctor protested obliviously.

Jack smirked. "Kinda immature too."

The Doctor shut his mouth with a snap as Mickey smirked smugly at Jack's victory. "Fine." he gave up, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, put your coat wherever you want to." His voice was still bitter.

Meanwhile Tosh took a step in to the machine, gazing up at the coral stretching and bending up to the dome ceiling, a look of utter awe on her face. Silence fell amongst the rest of the group as they gleefully studied Tosh's reaction.

"But, I don't believe it it's… it's..."

" - _Bigger on the inside_." Jack and the Doctor mouthed along.

"Transcendental dimensions technology." Tosh said instead.

Everyone's face fell, turning slowly to the Doctor.

"Sorry?" he squeaked.

Tosh snapped out of her bewildered trance. "Well I've read about it." she explained, gazing back towards the wooden doors and up again at the ceiling, scanning every detail, moving slowly over to the console and looking it over. "Although, until now I thought it was purely theoretical." She gazed at the dials and switches on the console, scanning the time rotor. "But it looks like I was wrong." 

"Not many people realise that." the Doctor said, curious.

"Well," Tosh began, returning her focus to the Doctor. "Not many people are interested in the study of transcendental dimensional astrophysics and quantum mechanics." 

The Doctor was floored, speechless.

Jack chuckled, smiling smugly along with the rest of the Torchwood gang. "I only work with the best." he told him proudly, before his words caught up with him and his smile faltered a little. "So anyway…" began Jack casually, walking towards the console with his coat under his arm. "No sign of Bilis, so I guess we'll head back now, huh?" Jack draped his coat dramatically over the back of the Captain's chair, looking cheekily at the Doctor as he did it.

The Doctor glowered at the coat for a brief moment, a grim look on his face. He forced himself out of it. "Yes, back to Cardiff, just after we left, well give or take a few hours. We can see what the others have found on Bilis, see if we can track him down." the Doctor explained, buzzing around the console, setting the coordinates.

"And I'd hold on if I were you Tosh." Rose added. "Gets a little bumpy."

Something caught Jack's eye as he looked to a piece of the wall on the Tardis. "Where's the corridor?" he asked, pointing at the wall.

The rest of the group followed his line of sight. "Ah, yes. The old girl still needs a bit of recharging to do." the Doctor explained, twisting some sort of valve on the console. "Just primary functions at the moment." he said apologetically. "Why do you still think I'm wearing this?" He gestured to his own outfit.

Tosh's eyes widened. "So, it's even bigger than this normally?"

"Oh, yeah." the Doctor said in a chipper voice.

"Honestly I've been here two years and I still haven't seen all of it." Rose added.

"Of course not. The old girl likes to keep the mystery alive, nothing wrong with that." The Doctor dramatically flicked a switch, adding some flare as per usual. "Right, all set. Everyone hold on tight, she's still a little salty with me for leaving it so long to refuel, well, that and letting Jack inside."

Tosh scanned around for something to hold on to. Most of the others were clutching onto the railings in some form or another so she followed suit.

"Next stop; Cardiff, Earth, 2007, June 18th, 3:02pm. Allons-y."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: (Don't know the name as of yet)
> 
> When: Thursday / Sunday. (I think it's going to be the last one, so I have to tweak a few things) 
> 
> Other notes: ****Spoilers for new epsiode**** So glad we got to see Jack and the Doc reunite straight away! I mean the episode had it's issues, don't get me wrong. Bring back Torchwood, I say.


	10. Bilis's Getaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torchwood and Team Tardis reunite as they work together to try and track down Bilis.

The Torchwood team were busy working away; trying desperately to find anything they could on Bilis Manger. With no hub to act as a base, they'd moved all their mobile, surviving equipment from the SUV to Owen's penthouse flat - as his residence was the most spacious. It was a very open plan, modern sort of place, with a killer view of the bay and lots of glass to see it with.

Although, in some cases, Torchwood were forced to make do and use their own personal belongings for the search, meaning; slow laptops, an ever-breaking printer the Gwen found in her cupboard, extension cords acting as trip hazards across the floor, slow wi-fi, and, most upsetting of all for the team, instant coffee instead of the freshly brewed, organic heaven that they were used to Ianto serving them each morning.

All the information they'd found was scattered around as each of the team worked from make-do stations consisting of; sofas, a coffee table, a foot stool, and borrowed barstools from the kitchen. They'd made a makeshift information board using pushpins and a white wall near the open kitchen - that Owen insisted he'd get Jack to pay for the repairs for later -filled with information and articles they'd found.

"Gwen got anything else on that shop of Bilis's?" Owen asked, flicking through some papers on a clipboard near the information board.

"Yeah - " Gwen trailed off as the scraping metallic sound of the Tardis filled the room.

The whole team stopped. They'd heard it before, they knew what it meant;

Jack and Tosh were coming back… hopefully.

Magazines, research papers, old articles; anything likely to get caught in the updraft was suddenly swept to the edges of the room. Ianto frantically tried to save some of the papers around him, but he'd reacted too slowly and lost most of it.

A few seconds later, in the centre of Owen's open plan living area, the ghost image of the Tardis appeared and reappeared on a cycle, and, with a final plunge, it materialised.

Torchwood waited in bated breath, praying, hoping, that this 'Doctor' was as true to his word as Rose said he was. All of their shoulders slumped when the doors swung open with a squeak and Tosh rushed out.

"Tosh!" Gwen and Ianto cried, Gwen pushing forward for a hug, while Owen looked up to the ceiling as though to give silent thanks to the heavens.

Tosh returned Gwen's hug, but her focus was elsewhere, too busy getting over the fact that she had actually travelled in time, in an actual time machine for that matter, gazing around Owen's flat, like it was some alien world.

Seconds later Jack stepped out. "What'd we miss?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Torchwood smirked at him, unable not to, even with the tenseness from their earlier meeting still fresh in their memories.

Their attention quickly turned back to Tosh, however, who'd pulled out of Gwen's hug and had moved back to the Tardis, running her hand around the outside, studying it intently. "Fascinating, no evidence of a temperature fluctuation, I thought there'd at least be some sort of change."

At the same time, the Doctor, Mickey and Rose stepped out, dodging Tosh as she circled around the wooden box, and moved to empty spaces in the, now, quite full apartment. They treaded carefully as not to trip over anything, the Doctor and Rose remaining close together.

Once he was settled the Doctor looked back to Tosh and smiled. "The centre of the time vortex is temperature-less." he explained. "The eye of the storm. It's the outskirts you have to watch out for."

Tosh beamed as she stroked the corner of the Tardis's exterior as though she'd never seen anything wooden before. "And to use this in tandem with Transdimensional technology. It's breath-taking." she gasped, still inspecting the patterns and swirls under the blue paint, wanting to take in every detail.

The Doctor instantly basked in the glowing praise, swooning at the chance to feed his ego, as Torchwood shared glances amongst themselves, wishing for someone to translate Tosh's techno babble. At the same time, Rose, Jack and Mickey, all smiled smugly at each other, simply enjoying the moment.

"Of course she is, finest ship in the whole universe I'll have you know. Driven by the most dashingly brilliant pilot there ever was." the Doctor flexed, completely over the moon to be able to do so.

Mickey rolled his eyes as Rose nudged the Doctor with her elbow but his manic grin only grew.

Jack chuckled, studying the rest of Torchwood. "You need to work on your poker faces." he commented, as he observed his team straining their necks in an attempt to peek at the interior of the ship. He turned to the Doctor. "What'd ya say, Doctor? Let them have a look around?"

The Doctor seemed conflicted at first. "Weelllll, I don't know." Only to cave instantly. "Oh, go on then." He motioned them inside, but his voice became sterner, a thought crossing his mind. "But don't touch the controls."

The rest of Torchwood were hesitant at first, but gradually entered the Tardis.

Team Tardis watched in smug delight as Torchwood's jaws unhinged at the sight, all of them gaping at the interior, some feeling around the outside, unable to comprehend such a machine, - even with all their experience. Some gazing at the coral pillars, and some moving forward inside the console room, thinking they'd hit a mirror or Owen's flat wall if they kept going, but, of course, they didn't.

_"It really is bigger on the inside."_

_"Bloody hell."_

_"Fuck sake, I owe you fifty quid Smith."_

_"I just can't believe this sort of technology can exist outside of mathematical theory."_

"So…" the Doctor began, rocking on the balls of his feet after a few minutes had past and Torchwood seemed to remember how to close their mouths. "This Bilis Manger, have you found him yet?"

The team stumbled a bit, like when a teacher asks a misbehaving group to see their progress, and the group just glances at one another, hoping for one member to make something up. But, after a few moments of looking at each other, Ianto opened his mouth.

"We haven't found him, but we've got some addresses." he explained, motioning an arm towards the Tardis doors, politely guiding everyone back to Owen's living room.

"Ah, well, better than nothing, eh?" replied the Doctor in a chipper voice, not really bothered one way of the other, patting Ianto on the back as he exited the Tardis. "Come on then." he called. "Let's see what you've got."

Torchwood filtered out, heading back to their respective makeshift work stations, while team Tardis and Tosh looked on.

Owen searched around for the clipboard he'd put down before he entered the Tardis, and walked towards the information board on the wall. "Right, so, one month ago, Bilis Manger put in a bid to the local council to rejuvenate Tretarri." he explained, the others listening. He tapped a section of the board with his knuckles close to a collection of photos and articles showing old stone cottages. "A street on the out-"

"Wait… Tretarri?!" Jack blanched, silencing Owen and shifting everyone's attention to him.

"You know it?" asked the Doctor, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Jack scoffed, as if the answer was obvious. "Hard not to, every time I even go near the place, I check out."

"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, a level of fear rising in his voice.

Jack fumbled a little as he thought of what to say on the spot. "I get sick, throw up, feel dizzy, and it doesn't stop once I leave, it lingers, sometimes I'm out of it for days. I've tried to go in, to figure out what's causing it. But I can't even get to the front door. It's like there's a barrier, but it's just for me."

"And you didn't think to let us know about this?" Owen complained.

"It was a personal problem at the time." Jack retorted. "It's been happening for years." He looked to the Doctor. "Since I got here."

The Doctor thought for a brief moment. "Right, well, in that case, -."

"But, hold on," Rose put a hand on the Doctor's arm, silencing him. "Wot is Tretarri?"

"We did a recon of the area." Owen explained, waving a finger around the information board. "Tretarri is basically a ghost street on the edge of town, been abandoned for years, the council keeps trying to turn it into something, but the plans always fall through."

"And why's that?" Mickey asked.

"Unexplained deaths." said Ianto, causing everyone to turn to look at him. He was sitting on the edge of Owen's sofa, a laptop and papers spread around the coffee table in front of him. He rummaged through some of the papers, collecting them into a pile, before getting up and striding over to the information board. "Different reports going back since the cottages were built, homeless people going missing, students dying after being last seen around the area, even the owner's." Ianto pointed to an old black and white photograph of a man on the board. "Body disappeared from its grave after the houses were complete."

"And what he'd build them for?" the Doctor asked.

"They were originally meant to be housing for his workers." Ianto replied.

"Right." the Doctor replied distractedly, thinking away.

"It sounds like the dance hall." Rose told the Doctor quietly. "Maybe Bilis is taking people from there too."

"Maybe, but that doesn't explain why Jack can't enter." He looked towards Owen. "And you didn't find anything out of place, something that could've been alien tech of some sort?"

Owen shook his head. "No, nothing, and we turned the place inside out."

The Doctor seemed a little dejected. "Right."

"It did sort of give me the creeps though." Gwen added.

"And if there is any sort of technology, Bilis might be hiding it like he is with the shop." Ianto added, causing Owen to huff in frustration.

"Shop?" Jack asked, confused, scanning the three's faces.

Gwen explained it to them. "We also found a shop lease in Bilis's name. A tailors called; _A Stitch in Time_."

The Doctor scoffed. "Well that's original."

"And why can't you locate it?" Tosh asked.

"I mean, we went there, me and Ianto, twice, the buildings there, but the actual shop itself isn't." Owen explained, clearly frustrated with himself.

"Maybe he just packed up already?" Rose suggested.

Owen gritted his teeth as he smiled patronisingly at her. "Yeah, thanks for that Tyler." he said flatly. "We checked and the locals all say it's there, point out the exact same place, but every time we went back there-" Owen flopped his arms down to his sides in exasperation. "-we can't see it."

Jack and the Doctor glanced knowingly at each other.

"Perception filter?" Jack asked aloud.

"Most likely, a strong one at that."

Gwen's face scrunched up. "Perception filter, but isn't that…"

"The thing that stops people noticing the trap door in the hub." Ianto finished.

"Yeah but that's residual." Jack stated. "This is stronger."

"Residual?" The Doctor tilted his head to the side. "From what?"

Jack stared at him and waited.

It took the Doctor a second. "Oh, me! From the Tardis last time. Right, got ya."

"So, the perception filter Bilis is using is stronger. But it's the same concept? It skews our focus, so we don't notice it?" Tosh asked, looking between Jack and the Doctor for an answer.

"Basically." stated Jack.

"And, lucky for you lot." the Doctor announced, strolling back towards the Tardis as he spoke. Rose stayed put, unsure whether to follow or not. "I have a couple of universal perception filter disablers, knocking about somewhere." He stepped into the Tardis. "Rose, come give me a hand." he called, already halfway to the time rotor.

"Yeah, okay." she called, moving to join him.

The rest of the group watched Rose jog after the Doctor. He lifted one of the grating panels off the Tardis floor and slid down under the Time Rotor.

"Right, so, once the Doctor finds the tech." Jack turned to Owen. "Owen." Then to Ianto. "Ianto, you head back to the shop again, you should be able to find it now."

They both nodded.

"The rest of us will go to Tretarri. It's a large area if memory serves, so while the Doctor and me try to work out what the hell the barrier is; Gwen and Tosh, Rose and Mickey Mouse, you search the houses and surrounding area, if Bilis is using a perception filter then there might be something that you missed last time." Jack turned and yelled into the Tardis. "DID YOU GET THAT DOCTOR?"

The console room looked empty, as both Rose and the Doctor had descended below the grating. A few seconds later, Rose gave a thumbs up from the gap and started to climb out of the hole, beckoning everyone to come back into the Tardis.

The grating rattled as Torchwood, including; Mickey, Tosh and Jack re-entered the Tardis, standing around the gap in the floor. Rose was sitting on the edge of the hole, her legs swinging over the side. All that was visible of the Doctor was the top of his head as he passed Rose some bulky plastic box with a screen on it, looking like a cross between a portable DVD player and a PS2 console.

"See, I told you I had some." the Doctor announced proudly, poking his head out the hole, carrying two similar DVD cross PS2 devices under his arm. But they were mismatched, as though they were from different brands or models.

Rose went to get up of the edge, and Jack moved to help her, pulling her up under her arm. "Thanks."

Rose passed the perception – whatever it was - device to Jack, crouching back down to relieve the Doctor of one of the devices he was holding and passing it on to the next person closest to her, which happened to be Ianto. She planted her feet, readying herself for the Doctor's weight as she offered him a hand out of the hole in the grating.

Graceful the Doctor was not, and in the end needed to rely on Ianto's and Jack's help to hoist him up and out of the hole as well as Rose's, the last device still under his arm. He carried on like it was nothing. "There, three perception filter disablers, as promised." He gave the disabler he was holding to Mickey, before taking the one Jack was holding, deciding to give it to Gwen instead. As he passed the device to her, the Doctor's face suddenly screwed up in concentration; like someone had messily written on Gwen's face and he was trying to read what it said. "Gwen, I'm sorry but I've got to ask, it's been driving me around the bend this whole time. Are you from an old Cardiff family by any chance?"

Gwen jerked her head around as she scanned the other's faces, wondering if she was the only one thrown by such a strange question. "Yes, all the way back to the eighteen hundreds." she replied , still baffled.

The Doctor smiled and turned to Rose, wiggling a finger up and down his own face. "Ah, thought so. Spatial genetic multiplicity."

The others looked on as Rose's face lit up, the only person that seemed to understand what the hell he was on about. "Oh yeah, I was wondering about that."

"Sorry –" Gwen began hesitantly, watching as the Doctor whizzed around the console, flicking switches and turning dials. "But what's that got to do with Bilis?"

"Oh, nothing. Just someone we met a while back who looks like you." the Doctor replied, cranking a lever. "But come on allons-y, hold on tight, and all the rest of it." He danced around again, checking something on the screen. "Next stop; _A Stitch In Time_ tailors."

* * *

The Tardis materialised in the middle of a narrow road, one street over from Tretarri itself. The road was worn and had tuffs of grass sticking out of deep cracks in the asphalt. The houses themselves were old, stone cottages, the kind that's usually found covered in flowers and ivy in a quaint little village somewhere. But here they were dreary, soulless and eerily empty, not a person in sight. The only plants visible were either long since dead, or weeds and long grass.

The team exited the Tardis, Owen and Ianto having already been dropped off. Gwen was first, gaping in awe at her change in surroundings as she stumbled further down the road, the portable DVD player like device under her arm. She smiled madly to herself, looking at the road under her feet like she'd never seen asphalt before, her mind trying to comprehend how impossible it was that a mere three minutes ago the floor under her feet was the fluffy rug in Owen's apartment.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Rose asked with a huge smiled on her face, as she, Tosh, and Mickey keenly followed her reaction.

"Bloody marvellous." she breathed, looking back at the group, only the Doctor yet to exit the Tardis.

"Gwen, time and a place." Jack called.

She recovered, closing her mouth and moving to join the rest of the group closer to the Tardis, just as the Doctor stepped out, closing the squeaky door behind him.

The Doctor gazed out to the stone cottages of Tretarri in front of him, instantly taking a sharp intake of breath, catching everyone's attention. "Blimey." He nodded his head towards the street. "Take it that's it then?"

"Yeah?" Jack said, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Don't need the Tardis, that." He pointed to the street, a look of astonishment mixed with a bit of annoyance on his face. "That is one hell of an area of suspended fixed-time, if I ever did see one."

"That's possible?" Jack gasped.

"Suspended fixed-time? Wots that?" Mickey asked the Doctor, also carrying a perception filter disruptor under his arm.

The Doctor let out a tired sigh. "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the finite structural temporal fixed state?" He looked around, as if hoping the answer would be written on a wall somewhere in the distance.

"Basically, this area is meant to be in a state of flux, aka, a normal time-travel friendly zone, but instead, somehow, it's a no-go, a fixed point. And that's what's making everything out of whack." Jack explained quickly; keen to avoid a lengthy explanation that only he and Tosh would likely understand. He paused to think a little. "And that's why I can't enter right?" he asked the Doctor.

The Doctor was a bit taken back by Jack's interjection but recovered quickly. "Yes, two impossible fixed points in time meeting. Like magnets repelling each other."

"Okay, so then, can you go in too? I mean, with you being a Time Lord and everything?" Mickey asked.

"Yes, it'll give me a headache but I can still go in. But, it's more important I work out a way to 'unstick' this area and change it back into a state of flux. It can cause a lot of problems otherwise, and we need to stop whatever Bilis was planning to do with this place."

"Right." agreed Mickey. "So, we'll stick to the plan then, yeah?" He lifted the device he was holding. "Use these, see if we find any sign of Bilis, or some tech, or something?"

"Yes." the Doctor said a tad dejectedly. He glanced around at all of them but lingered on Rose. "And please, be careful."

"Yeah." Rose nodded.

"And keep you're coms open." Jack stated. "So we can hear what's going on."

The others nodded before breaking off into pairs. Mickey and Rose on one team, and Tosh and Gwen in the other. The two pairs moved towards different cottages further down the road, Mickey and Gwen periodically checking the readouts on the devices they were holding, keen not to miss any potential clues.

The Doctor watched Rose as she disappeared from his line of sight, climbing through a broken window of one of the stone cottages.

Jack let out an obvious sigh. "She'll be okay, Doctor." he said with certainty. "I told you I only work with the best."

The Doctor smiled a little at that, but he kept his gaze fixed on the spot he'd last seen Rose only mere moments ago.

He stayed like that for a few seconds, before forcing air out his nose, his shoulders slumping. "I hope so." he said, before turning around to walk back to the Tardis. He put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Come on. Let's see what this suspended fixed-point is all about."

* * *

Bilis huffed as he hid behind a partially destroyed wall inside one of the stone cottages, waiting as Rose and Mickey stepped over a smashed table on the floor in the next room over.

The interior of the houses were as dilapidated as an abandon mental hospital; graffiti on the walls, destroyed, dated furniture, light poking through the dampness made holes in the roof and upper floor, the stone walls thick with moss, and the damp almost touchable.

Of all the places, the confounded girl was here too!

How was he able to 'pack up and leave' if Rose Tyler and the other members of Torchwood were prying around in his personal business. And worst of all, if Rose Tyler was here, then the Doctor was too, which meant he couldn't shift at all. Well, unless he wanted a repeat performance of last time, another brush with death, another close call with eternal damnation.

No, he rather avoid that if he could.

He couldn't risk having to rely on the other girl for a deal again, not after he'd already given up so much.

He just needed the damn box. He was supposed to use it once Jack defeated Abaddon the first time around, so he could transport his consciousness for the final phase. He'd left it here for safe keeping, but the area clearly wasn't safe anymore, and now he needed it back. The box was irreplaceable, the only thing capable of holding such power. And if, only if, his plan was ever able to come in to fruition in the, now, very, very distant future, it was important to keep it on his person.

There was a rattle from behind him, he turned slowly around.

It was the other girl, grinning annoyingly smugly at him, shaking the wooden box with one hand.

He sighed. "Checking I'll follow through on our deal?" he asked.

"Yes, can't have you backing out now can we?" the other girl teased, holding the box out for him to take.

He bowed politely, even though Bilis didn't think she deserved it, and took the box.

The other girl stared at him.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for you to leave." she said.

"Well I'm afraid I can't, I'm rather keen to avoid a repeat of last time."

"Exactly, it'll be fun, watching you run from them with your tail between your legs." she said bluntly, folding her arms and leaning on the side of the stone wall.

Bilis huffed, mulling everything over. "Was that the point in all this then? I was merely something amusing for you to toy with."

The other girl scoffed. "Oh, no Bilis. I wasn't lying, when I said I wanted revenge." She sighed dishearteningly. "But, thanks to you, that chance has come and gone."

"Your chance for revenge on Rose Tyler, I assume? Since it is her form you use."

The other girl smiled patronisingly. "No, Bilis, not Rose Tyler, not the Doctor, but his meddling ship who thought she could cheat her way to victory by showing them a step by step guide. Revenge could've made this so much more fun, but you had to go and ruin it with your ego." Her anger flared towards the end, but the other girl took a long breath and calmed herself. "Complete lack of showmanship if you ask me."

Bilis studied the strange being in front of him, scanning her up and down. This was the first time she'd shown even a hint of agitation.

"Well what are you looking at Bilis, chop chop." she snapped.

Bilis said nothing but carefully moved through to the next room on foot, weaselling his way out of the cottage via the back door and ungracefully heaving himself over a tall, jagged stone fence, much to the other girls delight. It was degrading, but worth enduring to avoid the Doctor and Rose Tyler.

Several minutes later, his suit torn and dirtied from the thick brambles he'd trawled through, Bilis managed to make it to the nearest bus stop - which was five miles away - without being seen. He adjusted his posture just as the bus pulled up in front of him, the other girl giggling behind him, unseen by the bus's passengers.

He turned to face her, to confront her, to tell her how lacking in manners she was, but when he looked back she was gone.

He quickly scanned the area before stepping on the bus, letting out a defeated sigh when he found no trace of her. While he might deal with demons and ancient beings on a daily basis, he was no match for whatever Rose Tyler and the Doctor had gotten themselves into with this all powerful being. He wouldn't wish her presence on anyone. Good luck to them in fact...

They were going to need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Found Family (or something like that)
> 
> When: Weds/ Thurs, if it's a good week. 
> 
> Other notes: This was originally going to be one 8000 word chapter but it seemed to be half action, half mushy stuff so it made sense to split it down the middle. Sorry if the pacing on this one is a bit... choppy? I guess. The next chapter is definitely the last one though.


	11. Part Of the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor asks Rose about his nightmares.

After numerous, _numerous_ , hours of tedious searching, neither team found anything of interest. The Doctor managed to fix whatever it was he needed to fix… or un-fix - Rose wasn't exactly sure on the details of that one. But either way, he'd done what he needed to do, and Bilis was still nowhere to be found, even with the Doctor scanning the area for Temporal Shift anomalies.

And with that, they'd returned to the Tardis empty handed; going back to Owen's apartment to meet with the others. After tossing around a few theories of why Bilis needed, or wanted, to open the rift, all of them agreed that there were just far too many variables to work it out. And besides, they'd stopped him that was the important thing.

A few hours later, after many tearful hugs and goodbyes, coupled with promises they'd keep in touch in the coming months, Rose, Mickey, Jack and the Doctor said farewell to the rest of the Torchwood team; now officially disbanded until the hub was rebuilt.

It was hard for Rose to say goodbye to all her friends, it really was. But what was the alternative? Waiting here with no rift activity, the Doctor going stir crazy, and Jack having to wait even longer to visit his own time?

Absolutely not.

And, of course, Rose _wanted_ to go. She wanted to see new skies, she wanted Jack to show her around his old haunts, she wanted to see more of the 51st century. She wanted to meet all kinds of different and amazing people from other planets.

The whole thing must've been on her mind more than she realised, enough for the Doctor to notice.

"Rose, you alright?" he asked softly, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

They were sitting together on the sofa of her mum's place, a cup of tea in her hands, watching the TV. It was just the two of them in the house. Jack had mumbled something about tying up the last few loose ends, although Rose was pretty sure that meant Ianto - _talking_ to him, that was. Whilst Mickey and Pete had gone down the pub to watch the footie with Owen, and her mum was out… somewhere with Tony. It was quite late in the evening, but the summer sun was still out, meaning they had to close the curtains in the living room to see the TV properly.

She shook her head gently to refocus her thoughts. "Yeah…" she said, sounding unconfident. "Yeah." she repeated, sterner this time.

The Doctor wasn't convinced, his expression harsher. "Rose, I meant what I said. We can stay… if you want?"

She took one hand from the cup she was holding and used it to hold the Doctor's leg instead, gently tapping it to reassure him. "I know, and I want to go, I do. But, it's just hard, you know… saying goodbye and that. But, no, I want to go." She paused for split second as a thought crossed her mind. "But, wot about you, though? You want to go?"

The Doctor's brows furrowed. He looked stunned, completely blown away that she'd even ask such a thing. Rose knew most people who knew him wouldn't bother asking. Of course he'd want to go, he was the Doctor; the wonderer, a hermit, the man without a home. But she had long suspected that he actually liked having a home to come back to, that he liked being around Jackie, Pete, Jack and Mickey, even Tony.

He liked having a family.

Even though he'd never admit it.

"Me?" he asked shocked. "Blimey, of course I want to go. What makes you think that I don't?" Something crossed his mind and he became flustered, stumbling over his words and rambling a mile a minute. "Unless, you just asked me that to make a decision on whether we stay or not, in which case forget what I just said, just do what you want to do, because when I think about it, it's not that bad, I mean yes, the whole Jackie, Pete, and Jack situation leaves a lot to be desired, and the whole 'no rift activity' might make things a bit dull, but it's not so bad, and I can be very adaptable, you know, so rea-"

"No Doctor." Rose sighed, giving his leg a squeeze, stopping him completely. She set her tea down on the coffee table in front of her and shuffled to face him more on the sofa, the Doctor slipping his arm off of her shoulders. "I'm not lying and I don't want you to either, I _really_ want to go, but I want to make sure that it's what you want. Cos it isn't just me on the Tardis, is it? Obviously you're there, and now Jack is too. An' I don't want to do something you or Jack really don't want to do, do I? So I just need to check." Her stern voice turned cheeky as she grinned knowingly at him. "Cos I think you're enjoying being domestic, you just won't admit it."

The Doctor's face fell. "OH, no, no, no, no, no." he denied adamantly. He shook his head dramatically from side to side, speaking a single word with each shake. "No, nope, nein, 唔想要, kehe."He looked at her sternly. " _No._ "

Rose giggled. "Alright, alright, message received." she joked, nudging him with her shoulder.

He let out a chuffed sound - a happy Doctor squeak, Rose liked to call them - in agreement. "But really, me? The Doctor? enjoying living with your mother? Pete? and whoever else? Forced to be bag carrier every time the supplies run low? No, you, Rose Tyler are completely and utterly wrong. How could you even come to such a conclusion?"

Got ya, she thought. Her tongue moved subconsciously to the roof of her mouth as she jerked her eyebrows upwards, grinning at him evilly. "Mum told me that you complemented her today."

The Doctor's lips attempted to meet, but faltered during the first few tries as he flailed around in search for the words. His head dipped in admittance for a second before looking up again. " _That,_ was a temporarily lack in judgement while my neurons were still reactivating from being dormant, due to a long, _long_ overdue sleep." he tried to defend himself, but Rose knew it was complete bull.

"Yeah, whatever." she scoffed, throwing her head back.

Rose waited for him to sass her back, but instead his expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Which I've been meaning to ask you about, by the way." he said, catching her off guard.

She looked at him puzzlingly, the Doctor intently searching her expression. For what, she had no idea. "Yeah?"

"What happened last night?" he asked.

"Wot do you mean?"

" _I mean_ , after I drifted off, what happened next?" he asked a bit impatiently, his eyes now boring into hers, his body leaning more towards her. It was obvious this was something he really needed to know. But why? Singing wasn't that weird, right? The jimjams thing? It wasn't that embarrassing; she'd only seen his back.

"Err... well, at first you just sort of went to sleep."

"Yeah, and?" he asked quickly.

"And then, I must of drifted off sometime after you, but then you started havin' a bad dream and woke me up."

"Woke you up how?"

Rose stopped touching the Doctor's leg and started fiddling with her sleeves instead. "Well you sort of… moved around a bit." she said awkwardly.

His voice instantly sharpened, his body stiffening. "I hit you?"

Rose needed time to think of the exact wording to use that wouldn't immediately drown him in guilt, but her pause told the Doctor all he needed to know. "...Well, no you didn't _hit_ me, not the way you're thinking." she tried to reassure, but it was too late, the Doctor's face had drained of colour.

"We shouldn't sleep together anymore." he said hurriedly, completely shutting down and pushing himself as far away from her as possible on the sofa, before deciding that even that wasn't a safe distance enough and rushed to get up.

Rose whacked him mildly on the arm as his body hovered over the cushions, his arms poised to push him fully off the sofa. He flinched at the contact, staring back at her.

"That's all it was." she said sternly. "That didn't hurt, did it?"

He mulled over her words for a few moments before reluctantly sitting back down and squishing himself back into the corner of the sofa. He placed one arm on the armrest and one awkwardly tucked over the outside-back, so he could spring up and away in a second; his movements unnatural and stiff, like how animatronics move. Once he settled he concentrated on her, waiting for her to speak.

Rose followed his movements, analysing his expression. He'd closed the gates, sealing away his emotions deep inside. His face was unreadable, but the look in his eyes told Rose he was frightened, desperately wanting to run away but forcing himself to stay. Her heart ached for him. He was so thrown by something she hadn't given a second thought to.

"Doctor." she said softly. "I don't know if you remember, but last night I said I'd take seeing you in a state over not being there any day. And I meant it."

He scanned her once up and down, his expression unchanging. He opened his mouth to say something, but Rose promptly reached over to him. She put a finger on his lips to silence him. He tensed at her touch.

"No, listen." She pleaded, but he remained rigid. "I know you might hit me in your sleep or whatever but honestly it's okay. I know you'd never do it on purpose, yeah?" She mustered up as much certainty as she could. "I trust you." 

After a few moments the Doctor nodded weakly, appearing less tense than before but still on edge. Rose took her hand away and shuffled further down the sofa, giving him space.

He took his arms off the edge and leaned forward somewhat. "But Rose, you don't understand. I don't want to hurt you. The-" He quietened his voice, like he didn't want anyone to hear even though there was no one in the house, running a hand through his hair. "-dreams, last night, they were mild, very mild, in fact; compared to what they usually are, probably due to the fact I hadn't slept in so long. - " He turned away from her, his voice changed to a mumble, like he was talking to himself, " - Honestly, they were so mild I think I …" He refocused himself and yanked his attention back to Rose. "That doesn't matter, what's important _now_ , is they'll be back in full force next time, and that means I'll be worse, much worse. I could hurt you Rose, really hurt you." he explained, eyes pleading, desperate for her to see things from his point of view.

That's when it struck her.

He didn't know that she'd soothed him last night. Well, to be fair she hadn't told him, why would she? It was personal and he needed her help. Why make a big deal out of it? He hated talking about stuff like that. She looked away and let out a sigh.

"Rose? What is it?" he asked, his voice regaining its fear, his earlier stiffness returning, bracing himself for more bad news to come.

"Your dreams last night." Her earlobe became more interesting, she fiddled with her earring. "I think I might've helped a bit."

The Doctor scanned her up and down, his posture relaxing a moment later. " _Weelll,_ " his tone was light as he flicked his head to the side, another good sign. "I mean it's possible you're breathing pattern might've helped, yeah. But, scientifically speaking, the more likely scenario was that I was so exhausted that my brain didn't even have the energy to concoct such intense dreams in the first place."

Rose blinked at him, for all the Doctor's intelligence sometimes he just couldn't pick up on the obvious. She let out a tired sigh and smiled sweetly at him. That was enough for him to clock he'd missed the point and swallowed, retreating back into the corner of the sofa, instantly shutting down _again_.

_Great._

"Why? Did you do something?" he asked fearfully.

"Well… yeah. I wasn't going to just leave you there, was I?" She looked over to him, expecting him to say something but he didn't. "So yeah… I just sort of… ermm" Rose tentatively reached forward, moving a hand towards his head. Now, of course, she could've just told him what she did, but she wasn't sure _telling_ him would have the same impact as _showing_ him, maybe it'd get through to him more?

The Doctor's eyes widened as he moved his head away, avoiding her approaching hand. Like a mistreated puppy who was being shown kindness for the first time and wasn't sure quite what to make of it. "Rose…"

She stopped at his unease, not wanting to force him any more out of his comfort zone than he already was. But, a moment later, he blew air out his nose, changing his mind. He timidly moved his head to meet her hand, relaxing the tiniest of amounts at the contact. She calmingly stroked her hand through his hair, the same way she'd done the night before.

"And well I sort of…." she continued, still petting him. Her voice suddenly hardened. "And don't laugh." she demanded. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, relaxing even more and giving a weak half smile in understanding.

Rose took in a long breath to prepare herself and started to sing, her cheeks flushing red. She only sang a few lines of whatever song came into her head - she'd die of embarrassment otherwise. She tried not to look him in the eye while she was singing, but when she glanced in his direction he looked something between utterly mortified and totally shell-shocked, throwing her off completely.

"So, yeah. I did that and…" she said, stumbling over her words, speedily pulling her hand away and fiddling with her sleeve in her lap, her face turning to an even deeper shade of red.

Why did she do that? Why did she do that? Why did she not just tell him? She had a mouth didn't she? She spoke English? God, Rose wanted to crawl in to a hole and never come out.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" she asked with a nervous laugh, after several seconds of excruciating silence and an unchanging expression on the Doctor's face. She back tracked. "Wait, don't answer that." she rushed out, fidgeting as she tried to move the conversation on. "But it worked, cos after a while you calmed down. But when I stopped, you started up again a few minutes later, so I ended up singing you a whole cover album." She forced her voice to lighten, trying to ease the heaviness in the air. Oh please let this work. "Aren't you lucky?" she joked.

The Doctor said nothing.

_AHHH_

"Then, after a while, your breathing kind of changed. At first I thought I'd killed you or sommin, your breaths in and out were so long." She awkwardly patted her hands on her lap, trying again to remove the painfulness of the conversation, feeling like something was crawling under her skin. "But no, you were okay."

She should've just told him. Now things were super uncomfortable. She was such an idiot.

The Doctor was still silent. Fuck, Rose thought, why did she never think about these things? She was cringing about it already. Hopefully, he'd just move on and pretend like it never happened like he usually did….

if he ever spoke again.

"But that's just a normal Time Lord thing, yeah?" She asked, waiting for him, _begging him_ to seize the chance and ramble on about being a superior life form so they could snap back into their normal banter.

But he didn't, and was silent for an agonisingly long time. She tried to wait him out but the suspense was too much. "Doc-"

"You did that for me?" he muttered instead, his voice breaking, his raw feelings exposed.

Rose felt like something had cut her in half, her heart aching. "Of course." she said tenderly. "I want to help you, yeah? I care about you. More than that I love you." She grabbed his hand on the sofa top-back with both of her own, looking deep into his eyes, wanting with every fibre of her being for him to believe her. "So, really, I _want_ to. I don't want you to suffer alone."

He studied her for a moment and his expression softened. She saw the tension in him unwind as he let out a long ragged breath and his shoulders sagged, looking away as if trying to distract himself from crying.

Rose fought against her own tears. Had no one ever done this for him? Or did he never believe he deserved it? Even before the Time War? Even when he was a kid? She squeezed his hand tighter.

The rise and fall of his chest became more pronounced, his breathing more battered as he struggled inwardly to keep his composure.

"Hey it's okay." she soothed, stroking his hand she was holding with her thumb.

He stayed like that for a while, until he exhaled a final long breath through his nose and turned to face her. "Yeah?" he asked with a cheeky small half smirk, seeming completely at ease now. Although, Rose was sure it was an act.

"Yes." she said with resolve.

His smirk grew into a toothy grin, his reaction appearing more genuine. Rose relaxed a little. "Really?" he asked ecstatically.

"Yes." she said, pretending to be annoyed that she had to repeat herself.

He giggled in victory, before suddenly seizing her in a fierce and desperate hug.

The abruptness of it startled Rose at first, instantly reminding her of that time in Utah. But she quickly recovered, squeezing him back as tight as she could.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck. "Rose Tyler, you're amazing. You know that?" he said softly, the sound a bit muffled by her hair.

Rose blinked hard, banishing her tears. She willed her voice not to quiver. "Damn right I do." she smiled, still clinging on to him.

Somehow, he hugged her even tighter. Rose rubbed her hand calmingly up and down his back.

She'd never seem him this vulnerable before. He was trusting her with his weaknesses and she wasn't going to let him down. She'd get it right this time, she'd help him.

They stayed like that for a good few minutes; until the Doctor started squirming about. "Hold on, can I just…" he started to pull away and she released him, a questioning look on her face. She watched on as he got up and felt around in between the seat cushions. "I'm sitting on something." he announced, prying the remote control for the TV out of the gap, waving in it victory in front of her. "Ah ha!" He turned up the volume before chucking it back on the coffee table and slumping back onto the sofa.

Oh, Rose realised, he'd had enough.

The Doctor put his feet on the coffee table and his arm around her shoulders. She contently followed him, resting her head on the top of his chest and putting her feet up next to his. She reached for his free arm to hold his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

* * *

They'd been sat watching TV in comfortable silence, the light slowly dimming outside, the rest of the house quiet, still just them. It was nice, like what they used to do back on the Tardis when it was only the two of them. Rose was still resting her head on the top of the Doctor's chest, she could feel him breathing in and out. He let her move her fingers through his as she fidgeted with them.

"It is, you know." he said.

"Is wot?"

"A Time Lord thing, breathing like that." he replied casually with a sniff. "Just as humans have sleep cycles, so do Time Lords. And that's the final stage."

Rose glanced up at him but he remained focused on the TV. "And wot does that mean?"

He looked at her. "Hmm?"

"You know, like there's a stage when we dream and stuff like that. What does that stage mean for Time Lords?"

"Oh, right." His attention shifted back to the TV. "Well, it means my brain has significantly shut off outside influences, reduced activity to survival processes only, give the old neurons a break from firing all day. Basically the same as stage three in humans, although our REM sleep, when you dream, I mean, happens before we enter deep sleep, not after, like you lot. Kind of rare for me actually."

Rose's eyes darted to his face. So that was why, why he'd been so curious to know what happened, yet didn't suspect it was something to do with her. He'd entered the final stage of his Time Lordy sleep cycle and he wanted to figure out why. She hesitated a little, a thought crossing her mind. "So… if that happens again, I don't need to wake you up or anything?"

The Doctor shifted, looking at her face, searching it, startled by her question. "No…" he answered distractedly. "But you… you really don't mind doing that again?"

"Nope." she popped her 'p' mimicking the way he did it.

His voice sharpened. "Rose, I'm serious."

"So am I." she snapped back.

He relaxed, his voice softening. "It's not too much?"

"No." she said as seriously as she could, hoping this would be the final bout of reassurance he needed to truly believe her. "You and me, we help each other out. We're a team."

"But, every other night?"

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

His mouth slowly formed into a warm smile, his eyes sparkling, so touched by her words. He had that look of pride and fondness on his face that Rose had only ever seen directed at her. "Well in that case, Rose Tyler…" She bit down a smile, knowing what was coming. "After this is over, do you want to keep sharing? Back on the Tardis?" A thought struck him and he lost his confidence, breaking eye contact, his question morphing into a ramble. "And not just when I need to sleep, but you too. I mean, I don't need to sleep every night, but I can stay in the room with you, or stay with you in the bed until you fall asleep… if you want to that is, either way is fine with me…. really. And don't think you have to stay the whole time either... if you don't want to." He stopped himself as he attempted to regain his earlier courage, meeting her gaze. He took a big sniff to further calm himself. "So, what do you say?" he asked more calmly.

It was Rose's turn to smile like an idiot this time around. "Sounds great." she giggled, her giddiness overwhelming. This was such a big step. She wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, you're so cute!" she squealed, incapable of stopping the words from spilling out.

"Cute?" he said indignant, pulling away.

Rose was only a little embarrassed that she'd said that out loud. "Sorry." she muttered.

"Time Lords aren't cute, Rose."

She smirked. "The one I know is; very adorable."

His face fell. "Don't tell a soul." his voice was dire, but it was obvious he was messing around.

Rose mimed zipping her lips together and throwing away the key.

"Good." he stated, satisfied.

A second later both of them starting sniggering. Another second passed and they burst out into a fit of hysterics.

Their laughter lasted a lot longer than necessary, but, eventually, they settled down to watch the show, returning to the previous pleasant silence. 

Only for the Doctor to bolt up like he left the stove on about ten minutes later. "Oh!" he yelled before his voice returned to normal and he dramatically slumped back down. "Me too."

Rose's face scrunched up. "Me too, wot?"

He turned to look at her. "I love you too." he shrugged; like it was no big deal, like it was obvious. He turned back to the TV, twitching in his seat a little. "Now, who do you think this murderer is then, eh? Cos I'll tell you another thing Rose, how is there anyone left in this sleepy little village? Surely no one would touch the place with a ten foot pole, murders happening every weak, the crime statistics for the area must be horrific, the whole town has probably been killed off ten times over. Why move there when you know that?" he rambled, keen to brush off his earlier -very important - words.

Meanwhile, Rose was stunned both by his nonchalant-ness, and his ease to say the words, her mouth a gape. The last time he told her she was sort of dying at the time, it felt like a dream, it _was_ a dream… technically. His words caught up with her feelings. She beamed, joy surging through her like a bolt of lightning, radiating pure happiness. He'd said it again. He said he loved her.

He loved her.

The Doctor loved her.

_Her._

Out of sheer bliss she reached up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I learn from the best." he said sincerely, looking straight at her.

Rose giggled out of pure glee, her body barely able to contain her joy, dragging him into a vice like hug and kissing him repeatedly on the cheek.

"Alright, alright." he complained, though didn't mean it. He nodded to the TV. "Look, we'll miss finding out who the murderer is."

Rose released him, still goofily grinning, returning to their previous hand holding. He didn't want to go any further right now, and there was no way she was going to push him into doing something he wasn't ready for. And anyway, their progress today was already far, far, more than she'd ever had hoped for before Canary Wharf. 

* * *

The Doctor seemed perfectly happy with watching Midsommer Murders with her, content even, no sign of twitchy-ness. But, all of a sudden, he got up, moved to the other sofa in a single bound, flicked his shoes off next to it, and flopped into it, lying down like he'd been there the whole time.

Had he reached his limit for today? But, none of his usual 'I'm getting fed-up' symptoms had shown themselves. What did this mean?

Then Rose heard the key go in the door, and her mum announce herself.

Ah.

She supressed a smile. The Oncoming Storm, who defeated Daleks and Cybermen, and countless others, was frightened of getting caught cuddling on the sofa by her mum.

Yep, sounds about right.

Jackie peered her head around the door. "Oh good, you're in. Come give me a hand with the pram."

Jackie had directed the question at Rose, but the Doctor sighed loudly. "Oh, if you insist." he complained, getting up off the other sofa with great effort, putting on a dramatic performance.

"Rose, come on, you can help en all." Jackie called, just as she heard the Doctor begin to yell.

"Jackie, how has this pram not collapsed from the sheer weight of the shopping tied on to the back of it? Poor Tony'll be launched into space if it tips."

"Oh hush you. Stop your whining."

The Doctor, however, did not stop whining until all the shopping was put away and Tony was happily chowing down on some chopped bananas in his highchair, and he was back lying on the sofa that he was pretending to have been on for the last few hours.

"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot." Jackie said as she rummaged in her handbag and pulled out a key and gave it to the Doctor. "'Ere." she said, dangling it impatiently over his head as he lay on the sofa.

"What's this?" he asked, sitting up to study it, looking at it like he'd never seen a key before.

"It's a letter opener." she said dryly. "Wot do you think it is, you numpty. It's a key to the 'ouse. Can't have you using that screwdriver thing or whatever it is. Last time I had to get the council out to fix the lock." Her voice sharpened. "And don't lose it otherwise you'll be paying to get another one cut." She rolled her eyes, getting tired of the Doctor staring at her and physically placed it into the palm of his hand and closed it.

"Now I'll put dinner on, I'm starving." she said moving into the kitchen without another word, well almost. "And you better help clean up this time, you lazy sod." she yelled down the corridor.

Somehow, Rose thought, this day had gotten even better. It's times like this when she was positive she had the best mum in the universe. She felt all gooey inside. When Rose got the chance she was going to give her the biggest hug, and maybe take her out to lunch, or, even better, book and pay for a holiday for her and Pete, since she basically paid for their date nights already. She wanted this to be a special thank you.

Now there was no way the Doctor could think he wasn't part of the family.

"Look Rose." the Doctor said giddily, holding the key like it was an Olympic gold medal. "I have a key. No one's ever given me a key before." His head twitched to the side. "Well, unless it was my own place." he said flatly, before perking up again. "But look, it's my own key." He moved the key closer to her face.

Her heart melted at how happy he was. "We'll have to get you a keychain now." she joked.

The Doctor's face fell. "You're right!" he said, one hundred percent serious. "I've got two keys now, you can't keep two keys on a piece of string." He searched around in one of his jean pockets and pulled out the Tardis key on a long loop of twine. "Where do you get keychains from?" he asked examining the two. "And what's the difference between a keychain and a key-ring, of course with the words chain and ring you'd think it'd be obvious, but it's not."

"Dunno." she admitted. "You can ask the person at the shop, they might know. I can take you to buy one tomorrow, you can even get one of those little rubber cases to put on the end so you can tell the difference between the two."

"Can you get different colours or are they all the same?" he asked.

"No, you can get different colours, even rainbow ones."

His face lit up. "Really?"

"Really." she nodded, smirking at him.

"Definitely have to get a couple of those then." he said still studying the keys. He smiled, making a little happy noise along with it, like he'd figured something out.

"Wot?" Rose asked.

"Jackie likes me." he said triumphantly, at the exact time that Jackie walked in with two cups of tea in her hand.

"Course I do, you plonker." she stated, putting the cups on the coffee table, tutting at Rose to move her legs. Jackie glared at him. "So long as you bring both of 'em back for the weekends. I don't want Tony forgetting his sister's face. You 'ear me?"

The Doctor nodded. "I think I can manage that." He gingerly took his tea from the table.

"Good." Jackie sat down next to Rose. "Now 'ow long before we can get the stuff from the flat?"

* * *

Rose dodged a laser blast, ducking out of the way just as it whizzed past the top of her head, the Doctor pulling her along, his grip on her hand vice-like, his flowing coat brushing against her legs as they ran.

"Jack! Which way?" the Doctor yelled over the ping of laser fire from the Judoon guards, sparks flying as they hit the large technical terminals, lighting the empty, angular corridor they were in.

"Left, LEFT!" Jack cried frantically, firing warning shots wildly behind him.

The three pelted around the corner at an Olympian pace. "There's the teleport!" the Doctor cried, reaching into his breast pocket for his sonic screwdriver, aiming it at the control panel beside the pod. "Come on, come on, come on!" he yelled.

The three leapt onto the teleport pad, Jack slamming the button on the control panel down hard as he jumped. They all snapped their heads back towards the corridor just as the Judoon guards lined up to fire. A purple light surrounded them, and in the next second they were back on the flight deck.

Jack spun on his heels, straining his neck. "Where's the Tardis?"

"This way!" the Doctor announced, yanking Rose forward, her eyes darting about as she looked out amongst the different ships, searching for the blessed blue box.

The Doctor led them under an ominous bronze oval, then between a Disney–esque red rocket and a ball of transparent green slime, then around a huge engraved cube like vessel, until, at last, the wooden blue box was in sight, right at the end of the cube, about five hundred metres ahead.

Suddenly, there was a massive blast that rattled the building, alarms from different ships crying out in protest. From where they'd just come from a squad of Judoon charged in through a hole in the wall, guns at the ready.

The Doctor turned to Rose, then to Jack, his mouth forming a splitting grin. "Run!"

The trio charged towards the Tardis, their legs pumping.

"Oh, how I've missed this!" Jack sang.

Only ten metres left until they were home free. The Doctor reached down to his trouser pocket and pulled out a small, burgundy coloured, converse keychain, with two silver keys hooked on it. He primed the key with the smiley face keycap on it, perfectly fitting the Tardis lock as he slammed into it and pushed open the doors. "In, in, in." he cried, pushing Rose in first before motioning to Jack.

Laser bolts bounced off the shielding as the Doctor slammed the doors shut.

"Everyone alright?" he asked, chest heaving, examining the condition of his friends.

Rose and Jack nodded through their pained breaths, satisfied the Doctor darted to the console, dancing around it as he set the coordinates. "Off we go."

The Tardis jerked into motion, Rose and Jack stumbling a little as the machine started up, still focusing on getting air into their overworking lungs.

Rose rested her hands on her knees as she gulped in air. "Jack…" she wheezed. "Next time…" she continued through ragged breaths, slowly regaining her composure. She glared at Jack. "ask if they're married." she said dryly.

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its DONE! WOOO
> 
> To think this started off as a 10K one shot... oops. I'm still sort of new to writing so, I guess I'm one of those writers that can only write longfic. 
> 
> Sorry this was a bit late but I really wanted to get this part of the story right (read; feels-y enough). 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear what you thought. 
> 
> With that I'll be off writing the next story in this series (in all likelihood a 13th and fam meets 10/Rose and Jack). Also, if you wanted to read the Doctor's first confession but don't want to read the whole of Earth's Secret Army (the first in the series. because it is LONG), then it's Chapter 13 -15, although it might be a bit confusing as to why the characters are where they are. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


End file.
